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Textbooks 

THEIR EXAMINATION AND IMPROVEMENT 

A REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL 
PLANNING AND STUDIES 



THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DIVISION 
WASHINGTON, 1948 



Textbooks 

THEIR EXAMINATION AND IMPROVEMENT 

A REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL 
PLANNING AND STUDIES 



Prepared by the European Affairs Division, Harry J. Krould, Chief 
Research and Bibliography by Helen F. Conover 

OCTOBER 1948 


U, S . THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS , 
Ref erence Department 
EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DIVISION , 
WASHINGTON, 1948 










/ 































% 







* 
































PREFACE 


Many governments, including the Government of the 
United States, as well as international and national, official 
and private organizations, have recognized that it is vital to 
their efforts for world peace and international understanding 
to provide the coming generation with a picture of other nations 
that is accurate, balanced, objective and fair. They therefore 
have given and are giving increased attention to presentation 
in textbooks of facts concerning other nations. 

Since the attitude created, the stereotype formed, is 
the issue, teaching material in whatever form it may be should 
come within the scope of examination and improvement. Even 
where oral presentation by teachers takes an increased share in 
the educational process, as it does today when textbooks cannot 
be replaced because of paper shortage or other war-related 
reasons, the textbook remains the basis and the framework of 
teaching. To the teacher, textbooks, are, if not the principal 
source of information, at least an authoritative guide; to the 
child, their printed pages are scientifically accurate and 
correctly stated truth. Textbooks can be the seed of an eventual 
harvest of international understanding and friendship by the pre¬ 
sentation of facts, qualitatively and quantitatively correct and 
in proper perspective; but they can also be the seed to a crop 
of misunderstanding, hate and contempt among nations and toward 
other ways of life by the presentation as facts of unqualified, 
unbalanced and inaccurate statements. 

The examination, revision and improvement of textbooks 
is a national and an international obligation to the spiritual 
and political, cultural and material life of the coming genera¬ 
tion. The idea has met with almost universal acceptance, the 
importance has found general recognition, but only in few cases 
have national programs been clearly defined, even less has there 
been successful integrated international action. 

Since this issue is so close to the national responsi¬ 
bilities and the international interests of the Library of Con¬ 
gress, we examined the problem, and taking inventory, we found 
that the historical picture of the international movement for 
revision and improvement of textbooks was comprehensively dis¬ 
played in 1933 by a study of the International Institute of 
Intellectual Cooperation, School Text-book Revision and Inter ¬ 
national Understanding , now out of print. A new study, bringing 























. 







the earlier work up to date, was contemplated by the Institute 
in 1938"but was abandoned due to the war; the survey made by 
the Preparatory Commission for UNESCO, Looking at the World 
through Textbooks (published also in French) / touches only 
high points without supporting detail. The Institute’s own 
record of its existence, 1925-1946, published in French in 
1946, includes a chapter on textbook revision, but without 
particulars save for the work of the League of Nations. The 
American Council on Education has recently brought out a 
brochure by Dr. I. James Quillen, Textbook Improvement and 
International Understanding , which gives exhaustive treatment 
to American studies analyzing textbooks, but devotes only a 
prefatory summary to international developments. There is, 
insofar as we have been able to determine, no recent study 
presenting a comparative survey, on the international scale, 
of this movement. 

A solution depends on national initiative, inter¬ 
national cooperation, and leadership and coordination by 
UNESCO. If this study, by presenting the international 
record and by furnishing the tools for further research and 
action, contributes a modest step toward progress, it will 
have been worth while. 


October 1, 1948 


Luther H. Evans 
Librarian of Congress 




































■ 










. 





. 






The Problem: 


"Everywhere one found what one would expect to 
find," in no country do histories fail to reflect 
nationalism and to condone their own national policies 
while condemning those of others. 

(British Royal Institute of Inter¬ 
national Affairs in a report on 
textbooks of all nations, 1936) 


The Solution: 


"Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull 
out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is 
in thine own eye? 

"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of 
thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast 
out the mote out of thy brother’s eye." 

(Matthew VII, 4, 5) 















TABLE OF CONTENTS 


PART I POLICY AND PLANNING . 1 

A. International 

1. League of Nations (I.C.I.C.) and 

United Nations (UNESCO) . 6 

2. Unofficial International Associations . 10 

B. Regional . 12 

C. National 

1. Countries other than the United States . 14 

2. United States . 17 

PART II RECORD OF ACTIVITIES 

A. International 

1. League of Nations (I.C.I.C.) and 

United Nations (UNESCO) .-. 19 

2. Unofficial International Associations . 27 

B. Regional . 52 

C. National . 

1. Countries other than the United States . 74 

2. United States . 101 

PART III BIBLIOGRAPHY OF STUDIES 

A. Countries other than the United States 

1. Studies of Textbooks . 110 

2. Studies of the Problem . 117 

B. United States 

1. Studies of Textbooks . 124 

2. Studies of the Problem . 135 

PART IV BASIC DOCUMENTS 

A. Casares Resolution, 1925 143 

B. I.C.I.C. Resolution, 1932 

(Casares Resolution, Final Text) . 145 

C. Declaration on the Teaching of History of 

the League of Nations, 1937 149 

D. Convention on the Teaching of History, 

Montevideo, 1933 151 

E. UNESCO Program for the Improvement of Teaching 

and Teaching Materials as Aids in Developing 
International Understanding . 154 

F. UNESCO Resolution, 2d Session, 1947 155 























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' 

- 


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1 


I. POLICY AND PLANNING 


This introductory chapter is designed as a narrative 
summary of endeavors toward examination, revision and improve¬ 
ment of textbooks, which are detailed in the second part. The 
latter lists in annotated outline major steps taken by inter¬ 
national, regional and national, official and private groups 
and organizations, from 1919 to the present, with the declared 
desire to serve the interests of peace and international under¬ 
standing. The International Institute of Intellectual Coopera¬ 
tion (an instrument of the League of Nations) and the Prepara¬ 
tory Commission of UNESCO, in 1933 and 194& respectively, 
organized their published surveys of this field in three sec¬ 
tions, International, Regional and National. In soite of the 
concurrence and the interdependence of the developments on the 
different levels, for clarity of presentation an arbitrary 
division had to be made; for identical reasons the same divi¬ 
sion is used here. 

The ’twenties saw a growing world reaction against 
war, and as a consequence the ascendancy of peace societies. 
This state of public opinion was fertile ground for an organ¬ 
ized approach to the problem of textbooks and their construc¬ 
tive or destructive contribution to international understand¬ 
ing. Besides, the war had made existing textbooks obsolete 
and it was time for revisions. In 1919 Anatole France, 
addressing French school teachers, gave dramatic expression 
to this trend when he appealed to them n Make hatred hatred. 

Burn the books that teach hate." In France, Germany, Belgium 
and Holland, in the Scandinavian countries, Poland and Japan, 
this cry was echoed in resolutions of teachers' associations 
and peace organizations. Speeches at the big congresses of 
nations that multiplied with the increasing desire for unity 
of the League of Nations world, pressed the issues of educa¬ 
tion, reconciliation and war prevention. Studies by groups 
and individuals were initiated to examine textbooks of their 
own and other countries for passages inflaming hatred. At 
first attention was directed to elementary texts of national 
history with their traditional glorification of war and prow¬ 
ess and their appeal to youthful minds; later it was extended 
to secondary school books and geography. In 1922 the League 
of Nations formed the International Committee on Intellectual 
Cooperation. From its beginning the Committee discussed text¬ 
books, and in 1925 started coordinating work in the field. A 
procedure, to which the Spanish member, Julio Casares, gave 
his name, was suggested which, with special care for national 


2 


vanities and susceptibilities, would permit an exchange of crit¬ 
icism and suggestions between countries, with the objective of 
textbook revisions. Gradually the scope of planning grew from 
a mere search for jingoistic passages to an examination of 
accuracies of data and neglect of other nations; the project 
of a single textbook of and for all nations, giving fair treat¬ 
ment to each country, entered considerations. 

By 1930 most Western countries had accepted as fact 
that textbooks have an obligation of contributing toward inter¬ 
national goodwill and of offering increased and correct informa¬ 
tion on other peoples. France led in translating this general 
trend into action by starting a reform of her own school his¬ 
tories, and through the teachers® committees responsible for the 
selection of textbooks, a considerable number of books, between 
twenty and thirty, were withdrawn from use or revised. Scandi¬ 
navia took the lead in the field of interchange between and the 
cooperation of neighboring nations. The gentle language of the 
Casares Resolution, which had been helpful in the early stages 
in getting the idea accepted, was too soft to produce actual 
cases of withdrawal and revision, and the International Com¬ 
mittee amended it and applied pressure for action through its 
national committees. Little by little the International Com¬ 
mittee tried to induce participating nations to advance from 
the negative phase of taking out objectionable passages, and 
enter the positive phase of adding new constructive material 
to textbooks. Model passages presenting facts accurately, 
fairly and in a spirit of goodwill were collected and publi¬ 
cized, and increased efforts were made to get action on the 
governmental level. 

In 1933 Brazil and Argentina signed a pact for mutual 
revision of school textbooks. Two years later the International 
Committee prepared the Declaration on the Teaching of History, 
to serve as a model and draft for such agreements between nations 
in 1937 the League of Nations Assembly adopted this Declaration, 
which most of the League members approved, though only eleven 
expressed their adherence with a formal signature. The few bilat 
eral agreements that resulted were restricted to smaller European 
countries and Latin America. 

There is a striking absence of the names of the big 
countries, with the exception of France, in the records of offi¬ 
cial and unofficial international and even regional activities, 
but there were certainly different reasons for the non-participa¬ 
tion. Japanese organizations which showed interest Immediately 
after World War I became silent after 1919, Germany after 1933 
had no use for this or any other kind of international activity, 


3 


the Soviets at no time had anything to say on the issue, in 
Great Britain and in the United States the selection of text¬ 
books was not a governmental responsibility, and governmental 
participation necessarily differed from that in most of the 
other countries for the reason that the United States was not 
a member of the League„ But the problem and the intention to 
find a solution were very close to the hearts of historians 
and educators in both great English-speaking nations, and 
representatives of groups in both countries have participated 
in international conferences, in addition to the important 
work done on a national level by organizations and individuals. 

In Great Britain the selection of textbooks is left 
to the teachers, and although one British group, the Workers’ 
Education Association, in 1919 appealed to the League of 
Nations for the establishment of an international committee 
on textbook revisions, the British, in general, expressed pre¬ 
ference for writing new textbooks in the spirit of objectivity 
to revising old ones. British textbooks were admittedly supe¬ 
rior in this respect. When the International Institute of 
Intellectual Cooperation discussed and examined the possibility 
of an ”international textbook”, it looked over a number of 
exhibits of national schoolbooks and found only one by a Brit¬ 
ish author (Helen Corke, The World’s Family , Oxford University 
Press, 1929) outstanding and worth mentioning. After the 
amendment of the Casares Resolution in 1932 the British National 
Committee on Intellectual Cooperation formed a subcommittee for 
answering requests by other nations, but it was the general 
opinion in Britain, which found expression in a study by the 
Royal Institute of International Affairs in 1936, that the ’’slow 
mutual adjustment” process should be left to the single nations 
if not to the writing historians. 

In the United States textbook-selection is made by 
state or municipal educational authorities, and the role of the 
Federal Office of Education is one of advice and encouragement. 
The responsibility of history teaching for the creation and the 
continuation of hate and misunderstanding had been a theme for 
historians and writers in the United States long before the 
League of Nations came into being, and in the ’twenties Revi¬ 
sionist” historians succeeded in bringing about notable improve¬ 
ments as to impartial and objective writing of history, in spite 
of the opposition of conservative and nationalistic public 
groups. The United States Government has—ns is declared in the 
Statement attached to the 1933 Pan-American Convention on the 
Teaching of History—viewed with sympathy government efforts 
elsewhere, and American groups and individuals have taken the 
lead in analytical study of their own textbooks for attitudes of 



4 


unfriendliness, contempt or neglect of other nations. Perhaps 
the most significant works published in this field are the 
studies sponsored in the last decade by the American Council, 
on Education, to which Dr. Zook, the president, who was an 
observer at the 1939 conference of the International Committee 
on Intellectual Cooperation, has given encouragement and lead¬ 
ership. 


Regional efforts with their greater tendency toward 
action showed a promising development, even though most of them 
did not reach the advanced degree of actual cooperation estab¬ 
lished by the "Norden" Associations in Scandinavia, or, much 
later, in the field of studies by the Canada-United States Com¬ 
mittee on Education. In Latin America the idea took form in 
the declaration on the teaching of history of 1933 and 1938 and 
developed in the framework of growing Western Hemisphere soli¬ 
darity. There was one extremely promising contact between two 
big countries in Europe. French and German historians, some 
of them working on this problem for years, met and discussed 
methods for the treatment of debated points in a form that 
would ensure scientific exactness and fairness to each country; 
the return of the German historians to a National Socialist 
Germany put an end to a hopeful and encouraging beginning. 

In 1939 all international planning and all practical 
work of the International Committee ceased, but the inter¬ 
national spirit had been shaken six years earlier when Germany 
left the League of Nations, when the Conference for the Limi¬ 
tation of Armaments collapsed and buried the discussion on 
"moral disarmament" under its debris. As soon as the war was 
over it was quickly discovered that the spirit was wrecked but 
not dead, and since UNESCO, in 1946, picked up this theme of 
ever increasing importance and urgency with a program of even 
wider application, promising signs of awakening public opinion 
are becoming evident. 

In 1946 the Preparatory Commission for the United 
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization pre¬ 
sented to the First General Assembly of UNESCO its report (Doc. 
C/9) which summarized steps taken in the past, and outlined 
plans for the future; the new body had a firm background of 
experience, by trial and error, on which to build. The Program 
adopted by the First General Conference calls for improvement 
of teaching materials in much the same words as did the I.C.I.C., 
but the conception is widened beyond history and geography to 
include all subjects which conceivably touch on one world of 
good will. There is wide realization that the actual work must 


5 


be done on the national level, with meetings of international 
federations reporting mutual progress, and UNESCO remaining 
in the background, co-ordinating, collecting, stimulating, 
exercising leadership but not dictation. 


Ao International 


1. League of Nations (i.C.IoG.) - United Nations (UNESCO) 


The International. Committee on Intellectual Coopera¬ 
tion (I.C.I.C.) was organized in 1922 under the League of 
Nations in response to appeals from many sides for official, 
integration of intellectual work on the international level. 
Almost from its first meeting the members discussed textbooks 
and their potential dissemination of hatred. In 1923 they 
talked of publishing an international textbook of history* to 
be translated into all languages—a favorite project which has 
come up throughout the entire course of the textbook considera¬ 
tion, alvrays to meet with discouragement. In 1925, after reso¬ 
lutions for textbook revision had piled up in the minutes of 
national and international groups, some of which were already 
recording accomplishments, the International Committee adopted 
the Casares Resolution. This important document outlined a 
procedure ’’whose extreme elasticity seems of a nature to obvi¬ 
ate any risk of wounding national susceptibilities." It stated 
in brief: 


A National Committee finding an objectionable state¬ 
ment in a foreign textbook* might write to the National 
Committee of the offending country, pointing out what 
emendations it wished. The receiving committee, if it 
decided to accept the request* should then decide how 
best to approach the authors or publishers of the book. 
Success, if any, was to be reported both to the National 
Committee originating the request and the International 
Committee, but no explanation could be asked if the 
receiving committee did not see fit to reply. The 
requests were to be strictly factual, regarding details 
of geography and civilization, etc., and "personal views 
of a moral, political or religious order" were strictly 
ruled out. 

The Resolution was adopted by the League of Nations 
and discussed at many meetings of the League, the International 
Committee, and subsidiary or related groups, national and inter¬ 
national, but by 1930 it had been put to use only three times, 
with only one actual textbook change reported. 

In 1930 the Subcommittee of Experts for the Instruc¬ 
tion of Youth in the Aims of the League of Nations (L. of N.) 
proposed an inquiry regarding school textbooks in history and 
geography, civics, morals and readers, which the International 
Committee approved, setting up a Committee of Experts on the 




7 


teaching of history to work out a program. This committee in 
1931 prepared an amended version of the Casares Resolution, 
which was adopted by the I.C.I.C. and the League in 1932. The 
procedure now called for more forceful measures: National Com¬ 
mittees on Intellectual Cooperation were urged to survey the 
textbooks not only of their own but of other nations and to 
write directly to one another, but this time answers were oblig¬ 
atory and copies of correspondence had to be sent to the Inter¬ 
national Institute of Intellectual Cooperation (the study and 
promotion organization set up in 1926 under the I.C.I.C.) which 
was prepared to act as mediator in any case of dispute. The 
National Committees were asked to provide the I.C.I.C. with 
lists of their textbooks, pointing out specially good ones as 
possible models. The League was to recommend to governments 
that they appoint committees to supervise textbook selection 
in line with international teaching, and major international 
associations were urged to invite their member branches to com¬ 
municate with one another on the question. The inquiry was 
extended from history to include geography, civics and readers, 
and the Institute was asked to make collections of textbooks, 
documentary material and statistics. At the same time the 
I.C.I.C. announced that it would stress in future the "posi¬ 
tive" side of the question, toward good new writing rather than 
elimination of bad. To this end it instituted a search for 
passages from desirable textbooks which might serve as models 
for fair, objective treatment of debatable points in history. 

The idea of an international history was revived, and member 
associations were asked for new reports and statistics. The 
International Institute introduced in its bulletin, Cooperation 
Intellectuelle . a regular section on the revision of textbooks 
and the teaching of history, in which month by month all devel¬ 
opments were reported. (This rubrique was continued until 1940, 
and is the chief source for information on both the national 
and international scale.) 

In the same year, 1932, the important International 
Conference for the Teaching of History was held at The Hague, 
and the issue of "moral disarmament" came up in connection with 
the Conference for the Limitation of Armaments. Moral disarma¬ 
ment was suggested by the Polish government, at the instigation 
of the active Polish National Committee on Intellectual Coopera¬ 
tion, and included a clause on the revision of textbooks. The 
effects of the new publicity, together with the amended Casares 
plan, were soon widely apparent. A number of European countries 
set up subcommittees of their Departments of Education or their 
National Committees on Intellectual Cooperation to work on school¬ 
books, and some of them went vigorously at scanning their neigh¬ 
bors' texts. (The Italian Committee went through at least two 




8 


hundred foreign manuals, and the Polish Committee even more„ 
Quite often it was noted that complaints were being made 
against outdated textbooks which had already been revised; 
the Germans and Italians both sinned in this respect*,) The 
"Norden" Associations in the Scandinavian countries perfected 
and put into operation their plan for friendly interchange. 
French and certain German teachers heightened their attempts 
at rapprochement, culminating in the Colloquy of 1935? when 
historians of the two countries sat down together and worked 
out satisfactory interpretations of delicate historical points. 
There were a number of exchanges in European countries under 
the Casares provisions. The Balkans had already begun to try 
for regional cooperation in their annual Congresses, and they 
intensified the effort in accord with the new International 
Committee program. In Latin America, where historians and 
teachers of several countries, notably Argentina, Chile, Uru¬ 
guay and Brazil, had been conscious of the International Com¬ 
mittee's work, 1933 brought two most significant events: 

Argentina and Brazil signed the first bilateral agreement 
providing for mutual examination and revision of textbooks, 
and the Seventh International Conference of American States 
formulated a Convention on the Teaching of History, which pro¬ 
vided, on government level, for the application of the Casares 
measures. (This Convention has been ratified by 8 Latin Ameri¬ 
can countries.) 

In 1934 the International Institute prepared for the 
Committee a Declaration on the Revision of History Manuals, 
intended as a model draft for nations planning bilateral agree¬ 
ments. It was adopted by the International Committee in 1935, 
and sent to the national bodies. By 1936, 34 countries had 
acknowledged its receipt, most of them indicating their approval. 
12 were already applying the principles, and 15 were ready to 
sign in part. (These were the smaller powers; in Great Britain, 
France and the United States, the absence of federal control 
over selection of textbooks prevented action on the official 
level. Nazi Germany, the U.S.S.R. and Japan had no truck with 
these doings.) In 1937 the League of Nations Assembly adopted 
the Declaration, which was accepted by 11 countries before 
1939. Bilateral agreements were made in the period 1936 to 
1938 by 9 countries. Most of these impressive results remained 
only a record on paper. 

In 1931 the International Institute had prepared a 
report on the whole movement for textbook revision, which was 
published in French. In 1933 a revised edition, in English, 
School Text-book Revision , was brought out. There were plans 
afoot for a new edition bringing the picture up to date when 



9 


all work was interrupted by the outbreak of the war. In 1946 
the Institute published an inclusive account of its operations, 
L'Institut International de Cooperation Intellectuelle. 1925- 

1946 , which contains a chapter summarizing the textbook revi¬ 

sion work. In 1947 the Preparatory Commission for UNESCO pre¬ 
sented a report, Looking at the World through Textbooks , which 
reviews the steps taken thus far and outlines plans for the 
future. 

Before the close of the war the Conference of Allied 
Ministers of Education, which paved the way for UNESCO, in 
1943 set up a history commission which among other functions 
gave consideration to objective textbooks. At the first Gen¬ 
eral Conference of UNESCO in 1946 the report of the Preparatory 
Commission was presented, and the program then adopted, and 
reaffirmed in 1947, called for the improvement of textbooks 
and teaching materials for international understanding. The 
role planned for UNESCO, like that of the International Com¬ 
mittee, is to be one of coordination; proposals call for greatly 
increased activity on the national scale, where the ultimate 
work must be done, with UNESCO in the background, stimulating 
effort without attempt at dictation. The categories of works 
to be revised have been broadened from history, geography and 
civics, to include music, art and all teaching materials that 
can conceivably touch on international relations. 




10 


2. Unofficial International Associations 


When the International Committee on Intellectual 
Cooperation adopted in 1925 and amended in 1932 the Casares 
Resolution, offering tactful means of exchanging between 
nations requests for withdrawal or revision of objectionable 
passages in schoolbooks, this official body was setting its 
seal of international approval on the endeavors of many groups, 
working within single nations, between neighboring nations, or 
with almost world-wide scope. International societies, being 
composed of representatives of national units, had in general 
to leave definite work to the member bodies, confining their 
coordinated activity to listening to speeches or committee 
reports and passing general resolutions. Except for one or 
two of the peace societies, which had talked about.doing some¬ 
thing to prevent the rousing of anti-foreign sentiments in 
children's minds through books even before the war of 1914-18, 
the international conferences followed rather than led the 
interest within nations. Their regular meetings and special 
congresses served largely to spread the news between their 
constituent groups, though a few proposed or actually did 
set up committees which achieved results in the way of reports 
and collections of statistics, and, of course, inspired national 
studies. 


The first systematic survey covering more than one 
country examining hate in textbooks was performed by the big 
foundation in control of funds for such efforts, the Carnegie 
Endowment for International Peace. The Moral Education Congress, 
which in 1922 passed the Geneva Resolutions calling for inter¬ 
national supervision by the League, made far-reaching plans for 
committee action, but without results. The World Alliance for 
Promoting Friendship through the Churches, and its offshoot, the 
Christian Conference for Life and Work, passed the influential 
Berne Resolutions setting up standards for revision, and prepared 
a report of European coverage for the specially organized Congress 
on the Teaching of History (Oslo, 1928). In the parts of the 
world dominated by English-speaking influence, the World Federa¬ 
tion of Education, through its Herman-Jordan Committee, antici¬ 
pated and later forwarded the International Committee's program. 

The International Federation of Teachers' Associations and the 
International Federation of Secondary School Teachers, groups 
mainly of western Europe, in which initiative was taken by the 
French, gave impetus to the Franco-German textbook reforms of the 
'twenties, and collected from their constituent societies statistics 
and actual texts. Leading world historians, through the Interna¬ 
tional Committee of Historical Sciences, aired their views on the 


11 


need for pacific teaching of history and the proper approach 
to the problem of textbooks revised or improved in the light 
of modern, objective, scientific research. This body insti¬ 
gated, in 1929, two broad inquiries on the status of history 
teaching within nations, in elementary and secondary schools. 
The reports, on elementary schools from 39 countries, and on 
secondary schools from 35, were published in the Bulletin of 
the Committee from 1931 to 1936. A similar inquiry into col¬ 
lege teaching that began in the mid-*thirties, and on which 
17 national reports had been received, was interrupted by the 
war. 


The most fertile years of the international movement 
were from 1929 to 1933, with a succession of important Con¬ 
gresses, attendant speeches and resolutions—the 5th Congress 
of Moral Education, Paris, 1930; the 1929, 1930 and 1932 meet¬ 
ings of the International Federation of Teachers; the Oxford, 
Budapest and The Hague meetings, 1930-1932, of the International 
Committee of Historical Sciences; and the supreme effort of 
united forces, the specially called International Conference for 
the Teaching of History at The Hague in 1932, the year of Moral 
Disarmament. This Congress marked the high point of enthusiasm 
by internationally minded leaders, and the bulletin they founded— 
Quarterly Bulletin of the International Conference for the Teach¬ 
ing of History—was expected u to blow as it were a current of 
international air through the teaching of history’* (Isaac, ’’Ten¬ 
tative d*Accord Franco-allemand,” see Studies, p. 111). But by 
1934, when the second session of this Conference met at Basle, 
the disarmament, moral as well as material, had failed, the Bul¬ 
letin had expired after its second issue, and the members of the 
enthusiastic group, having erred by "excess of ambition" (Op. 
cit .) had fallen into lethargy. They continued to speak at 
meetings, and to submit questionnaires following the guidance of 
the increasingly active I.C.I.C., collecting "model" passages to 
inspire new writings, but the empty places at the council tables 
were too many for them to be sanguine of success. It is only 
since 1945 that the voice is audible again with hope, expressing 
the support of the principles of international intellectual coop¬ 
eration. 



12 


B. Regional 


The brightest spots in the between-wars efforts 
toward revision of textbooks occur in the sphere of regional 
cooperation, and the shining example is the work accomplished 
in the Scandinavian countries by the "Norden" Associations, 
Beginning in 1919 and 1920, the Norwegian, Danish and Swedish, 
and later the Finnish branches of this cultural league discussed 
at meetings revision of their respective textbooks, appointed 
committees to supervise the work, secured the cooperation of 
their governments, and adiieved widespread improvement in the 
treatment accorded one another in children's history books. 

The results are described in two impressive volumes (1937 and 
1940), the first relating the steps taken by the examining com¬ 
mittees, the second presenting objective treatments of disputed 
points in Scandinavian history. 

Other attempts were made in Europe by the Balkan 
nations in conferences from 1930 to 1933, and by the Baltic 
states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland) in 1935-37. 

These followed the International Committee’s recommendations 
and resulted in a few bilateral agreements, but broke down under 
the strain of the European situation. The same sad ending came 
to the efforts for changed attitudes in history teaching made 
by the big national associations of French and German teachers 
and historians. These had begun with enthusiasm on both sides 
in the ’twenties, and in France at least had led to some real 
reforms in manuals „ They were climaxed by the colloquy between 
French and German historians in 1935. 

In the Western Hemisphere, the trend against inter¬ 
nationalism that accompanied the rise of the Nazi state and the 
decay of the League of Nations was partly not evident, partly 
overshadowed by the drive for hemisphere solidarity and a good 
neighbor policy that became more popular with each year. From 
Spain in the early ’twenties had come feelers for writing the 
history of the conquest and development of the new continent 
in a spirit of fairness, and the Latin American historians were 
ready to cooperate in giving their sister nations credit for 
their respective parts in the general cultural and historical 
background of the New World. The Casares procedure was adapted 
in the western setting, and the agreement signed by Brazil and 
Argentina in 1933 was the first direct promise for mutual revi¬ 
sion of school manuals by sovereign states. At the twenty- 
nation Pan-American assemblage of 1933 the Convention on the 
Teaching of History was adopted, and placed under the aegis of 
the Pan American Union. In 1936 it was rephrased by the First 
Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace, and in 
1938 reiterated by the Eighth Conference of American States. 



13 


The United States, while prevented from joining in the official 
program by her absence of government authority in the textbook 
field, has given the fullest sponsorship to the encouragement 
of teaching on Latin America in the schools, and the American 
Council on Education has offered a model for studies of national 
textbooks from the viewpoint of goodneighborliness in the 1944 
study, Latin America in School and College Teaching Materials . 

The latest regional move, one most pregnant with pos¬ 
sibilities for the future, is that of the Canada-United States 
Committee on Education, on the highest level of semi-official 
sponsorship, which in 1947 published the results of a joint 
survey of national history textbooks to discover respective 
national attitudes. 



u 


C. National 


1. Countries other than the United States 


The work toward revision of textbooks carried on by 
individual nations within their borders betrays no specific 
pattern, partly because it is closely interwoven as to encour- 
agement and stimulus with the movement developing on the inter¬ 
national and regional level, partly because textbook revision 
was submerged in the greater postwar drive for a reform of 
education with the objective of making children more conscious 
of their social role in and responsibility to the world. The 
active preaching of peace societies and other official or 
unofficial groups sponsoring education in accordance with the 
aims of the League of Nations was evidenced widely in introduc¬ 
tion of new teaching materials and new plans for school courses, 
and the question of textbooks in history was an element that can 
be separated only in isolated instances from the larger scheme. 

From 1919 on, scattered groups of educators and indi¬ 
vidual historians in ail civilized nations spoke about the need 
of removing seeds of hate from school manuals. The Carnegie 
inquiry, the first volume of which appeared in 1923 ( See Studies, 
PollO) brought the problem into focus, and was followed by a 
number of national examinations. The most definite and perhaps 
the most conspicuous accomplishment was that of the pacifist 
French association of primary school teachers (Syndicat National) 
whose 80,000 members, inspired by the idea of Franco-German rap¬ 
prochement, began to boycott about 30 textbooks which had been 
composed or revised in the first heat of victory. Within two 
years the teachers had secured the virtual, elimination of the 
questionable passages or the entire texts from public schools. 

The French, bent on reconciliation with the former enemy, aimed 
at scientific objectivity. Much the same ideals seem to have pre¬ 
vailed in leading educational circles of Belgium and the Nether¬ 
lands, Switzerland and Poland. The German effort, led by teachers' 
peace groups, looked promising, but from the first of its textual 
studies showed a tendency to make its primary aim purging foreign 
textbooks of the idea of German responsibility for the war, and 
from the late 'twenties foreshadowed a policy that found its logical 
culmination in 1933 in the compulsory teaching of "the national- 
socialist man." 

The smaller nations of central and Eastern Europe responded 
gradually to the coordinating efforts of the international organiza¬ 
tions, and by the mid 'thirties had mostly fallen in line with the 
I.C.I.C. program, some of them finding the Casares procedure a 






15 


desirable way to get themselves r, on the map 1 ’ by means of the 
histories and geographies of larger countries. Fascist Italy 
in the mid-’thirties claimed near-perfection for her own state- 
and party-controlled historical views, and went zealously 
after slights found in foreign books. Similarly Japan, after 
an initial statement by pacific groups in 1919, was silent 
about her own textbooks and made use of the Casares procedure 
in 1932 only to register a complaint against China. In the 
closely integrated groups of nations, the Scandinavian coun¬ 
tries, the Baltic republics, the Balkans and Latin America, 
national efforts were subordinated to regional. Great Britain 
and the Empire, like the United States, were somewhat aloof, 
concerned with objective writing by their historians, well- 
planned courses in the social sciences, and free and enlightened 
choice of books by their teachers, rather than with what the 
textbooks of other countries chose to say about them, but 
politely acknowledging foreign and international comment. 

By 1932, when the International Institute published 
its survey, School Text-book Revision *, an impressive array of 
national data could already be presented. In most countries 
where school textbooks came under government supervision, Min¬ 
istries of Public Instruction had given orders for teaching 
in the spirit of international goodwill, if not for actual 
choice of fair and friendly manuals. In the countries like 
Great Britain, France and Switzerland, where local teachers’ 
boards or individual teachers exercised control over texts, 
they were fully conscious of the need, and frequently achieved 
progress in the actual writing. Under the strong international 
and regional leadership of the mid-’thirties, more and more of 
the outlying nations adopted by legislation the procedures 
advocated by the I.C.I.C. 

In spite of locally encouraging progress the inter¬ 
national structure as a whole was best described by a study 
group of the British Royal Institute of International Affairs— 
a body noted for its objective viewpoint—which made in 1936 an 
inquiry into the textbooks of 34 countries and reported that 
’’everywhere one found what one would expect to find,” national¬ 
ism, and what had been denounced at the international congresses 
as ”a double standard of morality,” condoning of the policies of 
one's own country. 


#This work and the rubrique appearing regularly in the bulletin, 
Cooperation Intellectuelle , have been, due to lack of readily 
available materials, the chief sources for this section of the 
present study. 





16 


The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 stopped 
the publication of the rubrique on "School Text-book Revision 
and the Teaching of History" in Cooperation Intellectuelle and 
the meager sources for data on national interest abroad in text¬ 
book revision as an instrument of peace ceased completely. It 
is hoped that this gap will be closed under UNESCO's leadership 
and action. 



17 


2c United States 


In the United States the choice of textbooks, like 
the making of school courses and the training of teachers, 
does not come within the jurisdiction of the Office of Educa¬ 
tion or any other part of the Federal Government, but is a 
state or municipal function 0 Consequently governmental action 
is excluded from the field of textbook revision, though there 
was repeatedly a sympathetic attitude expressed by the United 
States toward official moves by differently organized nations, 
for instance in the Statement attached to the 1933 Pan-American 
Convention on the Teaching of History. The control exercised 
by Ministries of Education in many nations of Europe and Latin 
America is not duplicated in the United States, and the chief 
work of coordination is done by big unofficial organizations, 
and even they work more in the direction of planning curricula 
and teacher training than in recommending actual texts. As, 
however, American school books are mostly printed by a few pub¬ 
lishers who revise their lists from year to year, and who follow 
closely the expert guidance of committee actions, reports and 
yearbooks of big organizations in education and in subj ect 
fields, the influence of these groups directly touches writers 
of any textbooks that secure wide acceptance. 

The movement for revision and improvement of text¬ 
books as affecting international understanding began as an indig¬ 
enous effort, and though paralleling at many points the work of 
the I.C.I.Co, it has originated little interchange between 
nations. Few instances are noted of comments from other coun¬ 
tries on American texts, and the improvements widely achieved in 
school histories, geographies and civics texts have been due to 
the determination of responsible American historians and educa¬ 
tors to fit American children to be citizens not only of the 
United States but of the world 0 

An increased study of history, particularly history 
beyond national bounds, written in accordance with scientific 
conceptions, and correlated with the social sciences—economics, 
geography, social life—rather than concentrated on national 
victories and leaders, has been an important part of the program 
of the American Historical Association and the National Educa¬ 
tion Association since the *90’s (when it paralleled a similar 
European movement for ’’scientific” history) and in most American 
schools has led to present-day textbooks and systems of teaching 
that strive to be in keeping with the modern, closely-knit world. 
The first efforts toward overcoming the jingoistic nationalism 
of nineteenth century school histories, made in objective treat¬ 
ment of historical fact relating to the American Revolution, and 


18 


the famous controversy of the early ’20's over the "pro-British” 
texts, with resolutions and legislation by patriotic groups and 
local school boards, is now past history, and has been related 
fully"in a number of works, notably Dr. Bessie L. Pierce’s Pub ¬ 
lic Opinion and the Teaching of History in the United States . 

(See Studies, p. 12^. A part of the program of the organized 

forces of responsible education has been a steady fight for 
freedom of teaching and a progressive scientific viewpoint 
against the propaganda of pressure groups. 

Action for history teaching in the interests of peace 
had begun as early as 1906, when the American Peace Society 
heard a committee report on "The Teaching of History in the 
Public Schools with reference to War and Peace," which gave sta¬ 
tistics as to the decrease of pages dealing with war in text¬ 
books. After 1919 prominent laymen’s organizations supported 
the League of Nations’ ideals. The Association for Peace Educa¬ 
tion, the National Council for Prevention of War, and the Ameri¬ 
can Association of University Women sponsored studies of text¬ 
books examining relative space accorded war and peace. The 
American Political Science Association, the American School Cit¬ 
izenship League, and the Conference for the Cause and Cure of 
War advocated internationalism in education, with specific ref¬ 
erence to the writing of textbooks. Many organizations, led by 
the League of Nations Association, offered literature and pro¬ 
grams on international understanding to the schools. Social 
studies and courses in "contemporary civilization" jammed into 
the school curricula with a lack of integration that the Ameri¬ 
can Historical Association in 1926 bewailed as a "chaos" of pro¬ 
grams. The Commission on the Social Studies set up by the A.H.A. 
to study this problem, formulated standards for teaching in his¬ 
tory, good citizenship and world relations through which there 
has come to be a "more distinct recognition that history for 
schools should be the history of civilization. ’’ (Johnson, Teach ¬ 
ing of History , p. 85 ). 

In 1926 Dr. Pierce published the important study men¬ 
tioned above, following it with an analysis of manuals, Civic 
Attitudes in American‘School Textbooks (1930). A number of 
other private studies (many of them doctoral theses) appeared 
in the same international spirit. During the last decade the 
American Council on Education has entered the field of analysis 
of textbook content, and its highly significant surveys of Amer¬ 
ican teaching materials on Latin America, Asia, Canada, Russia, 
and Inter-group Relations provide patterns for future work that 
are in complete accord with the ideals of the International Com¬ 
mittee on Intellectual Cooperation and UNESCO. As these practical 
achievements respond to bibliographical treatment, they are out¬ 
lined in the third part of the present study. 








19 


II. RECORD OF ACTIVITIES 
A. International 

1. League of Nations (I.C.I.C.) and United Nations (UNESCO) 


INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE ON INTELLECTUAL CO-OPERATION (I.C.I.C.) 

The work of the International Committee is outlined in its 
essentials in the preceding summary. A complete chronological 
expose, detailing not only the actions of the Committee and its 
study group, the International Institute, with the approving 
motions of the General Assembly of the League of Nations, but 
also communications received from the National Committees, from 
the first requests to the Secretariat of the League in 1920 to 
the cessation of activity in 1939, is given in a chapter of the 
official work published in 1947, L *Institut International de 
Cooperation Intellectuelle , 1925-1946, "La Revision des Manuels 
Scolaires et 1 1 Enseignement de l'Histoire, 11 pp. 173-246. To 
avoid unnecessary repetition, there are noted here only the most 
conspicuous committee actions by date. 

1922-. Following the first meeting of the I.C.I.C. an Eng¬ 
lish member (Professor Millikan) suggested that the League 
of Nations lend its name and accord its sanction to the 
publication of new school textbooks presenting material in 
international rather than national aspects. The proposal 
was referred to a subcommittee. 

1923. The Committee appointed a subcommittee to direct 
the project of an manual of international history, to be 
published jointly in major languages,. 

1925. The French member, M. de Reynold, and the Spanish 
member, M. Julio Casares, proposed that, rather than to 
edit new texts from the international viewpoint, which 
would be of questionable use, the writers of textbooks in 
different nations be put in touch with each other and 
expressions of ill will and errors of fact regarding other 
nations be eliminated by mutual consent from existing texts. 
A resolution for the procedure which he proposed was adopted 
by the I.C.I.C. at its 5th session (1925) and confirmed by 
the Council and General Assembly of the League of Nations in 
19i26 ( See text of Casares Resolution, Appendix A.). 

Comments from National Committees and applications of 
the Casares procedure were discussed at subsequent meetings 
of the I.C.I.C. from 1926 to 1930, by which time only three 
requests for revision had been registered, one addressed to 
France by Hungary, another to Belgium by Germany, and a 
third to France by Spain. 





20 


Pleas for revision of school textbooks were made before 
the League Assembly by the Haitian delegate in 1925 and the 
Albanian delegate in 1928. 

1930, The Subcommittee of Experts for the Instruction of Youth 
in the Aims of the League of Nations, which had been set up 
under the I.C.I.C. in 1926, its membership including Professor 
Gilbert Murray and Sr. Casares, took into consideration the 
textbook question, and at all sessions discussed it. In 1930 
a resolution was adopted asking the I.C.I.C. to undertake an 
exhaustive inquiry into schoolbooks used in different coun¬ 
tries, to determine in what degree they reflected the spirit 
of international cooperation, and work of international agen¬ 
cies. This resolution was approved by the 12th session of 

the I.C.I.C. (1930) and the International Institute was 
charged with the preparation of a report. 

1931, The Institute submitted to the Subcommittee-of Experts 
the first draft of its report, which was published in French 
in 1932 ( La Revision des Manuels scolaires contenant des 
Passages nuisibles a la Comprehension mutuelle des Peuples , 

Paris, 1932, 224 p.) The Subcommittee voted a resolution 

endorsing the report, and declaring that an international move¬ 
ment for improvement of textbooks was -under way. The I.C.I.C. 
at its 13th session, 1931, also approved the report and sub¬ 
mitted it as a basis for work to a new Committee of Experts 
which was created especially to mark out lines of action regard¬ 
ing the textbook campaign. 

1932, The Committee of Experts met at Paris. Their number 
included, besides the representatives of the Subcommittee of 
Experts for the Instruction of Youth in the Aims of the League 
of Nations, members selected from the education committees of 
the International Committee of Historical Sciences and the Inter¬ 
national Federation of Teachers. Their study led them to the 
conclusion that the Casares Resolution was not accomplishing 

the desired results, and they prepared an amended version of 
the procedure for international exchange or requests for correc¬ 
tion of tendentious passages. (See Casares Resolution, Final 
Text, Appendix B, p.145 ) By this the I.C.I.C. would play a 
more conspicuous part as conciliator. It was requested that 
governments and National Committees set up special committees, 
including school authorities or groups of teachers, to deal 
with revision of texts and to encourage the writing of new 
textbooks stressing international unity. As part of this posi¬ 
tive aspect of the program, the National Committees were 
requested to send to the Institute lists of the manuals in use. 

In the same year, at the direction of the I.C.I.C. the 




21 


Institute introduced in its bulletin. Coope r ation Intelle ct 
tuelle . a heading of "School Textbook Revision,, " under which 
it published facts regarding the execution of the Casares 
procedure, resolutions by congresses or associations regard¬ 
ing school books, governmental or other measures relating 
to the introduction of school books and the teaching of 
history, notices of books and articles on the subject, and 
the lists of manuals sent in by the National Committees,, 
(Lists of manuals in use in Prussia, Italy, Czechoslovakia, 
Lithuania, the United States, the Netherlands, Latvia, Luxem¬ 
bourg, Iceland, Danzig, and Poland were published between 
1932 and 1936)o The heading appeared regularly until 1939. 

1933. It was announced at the 15th session of the I.C.I.C. 
that 7 National Committees (United Kingdom, France, Germany, 
Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Switzerland) had formed special sub¬ 
committees or arranged with existing governmental committees 
for the application of the Casares Resolution, A new edition 
of the Institute’s survey was published in English, School 
Text-book Revision and International Understanding ( See 
Studies, p.120)1 It was enlarged to include many of the 
replies from governments regarding their methods of choos¬ 
ing textbooks, and a special chapter on the often-talked-of 
project of an international manual for use in a number of 
countries. 

The I, Colo Co undertook to collect ,, model' , passages, 
selected by National Committees and teachers’ associations 
from their own textbooks. These the Committee planned to 
make available through publication for the use of historians 
of other countries engaged in writing new texts in an inter¬ 
national spirit. By 1937 seven committees (including the 
United States) had sent in samples from recent textbooks 
showing objective treatment of controversial historical 
events. Some of these were published in a special issue of 
Cooperation Intellectuelle . no. 84, Dec. 1937 ( See Studies, 
p. 118). 

1934. The I.C.I.C. received the suggestion that a model form 
for a diplomatic cultural agreement be prepared and put at 
the disposition of governments which might wish to follow the 
example set by Brazil and Argentina ( See Regional, p. 70) 
and arrange for mutual bilateral revision of textbooks. The 
Institute was asked to undertake this project. 

I935 „ The Institute submitted a model draft declaration for 
a bilateral or regional agreement between nations to the Com¬ 
mittee, which referred it in turn to the Council and Assembly 
of the League of Nations. The Assembly ordered it communis 
cated to the member states, inviting their signatures. 







22 


1937. The Declaration on the Teaching of History (See 
Appendix C. p»150) was adopted by the Assembly of the 
League of Nations at its 16th session, and the nations were 
asked to sign their adherence. Acknowledgments of the draft 
had at that time been received from 34 nations, 15 of whom 
expressed willingness to adhere in whole or in part, while 
12 others stated they were already applying the principles. 

Seven, including the United States, Great Britain, and France, 
declined adherence because of such national factors as decen¬ 
tralized educational authority and independence of teachers 
and historians. Between 1937 and 1939 adherences were signed 
by 11 nations, Afghanistan, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, 

Egypt, Estonia, Greece, Iran, the Netherlands, Norway and 
Sweden. Several bilateral treaties were made in the years 
1935 to 1938, and are published by the Institute in its col¬ 
lected volume, Recueil des Accords Culturels (1938) and in 
the 1938 issues of Cooperation Intellectuelle ( See p. 71). 

1938. The Institute announced the proposed publication of 

a new work surveying the movement for revision of school text¬ 
books, to supplement and replace the 1933 volume, then out of 
print, and requested National committees to send them documen¬ 
tary material, and also to point out models of objective writ¬ 
ing in the textbooks of other countries. This project was 
interrupted by the war. 

( I.I.I.C. 1925-1946 , p. 173-185; 
also other I.I.I.C. publica¬ 
tions, passim ) 

COMMITTEE FOR MORAL DISARMAMENT, 1932-1933 

On March 15, 1932, the Political Commission of the Conference 
for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments (Geneva, 1931-1934) 
recognizing the obvious connection of moral with material disarma¬ 
ment, appointed a Committee to study Moral Disarmament. The com¬ 
mittee resulted mainly from the memoranda sent by the Polish govern¬ 
ment to all members of the Conference before and after its opening, 
September 1931. The first Polish note, dated September 23, 1941, 
included a proposal that "school books, particularly those dealing 
with history, geography, etc., would also have to be examined, 1 ' and 
suggested "an international convention binding Governments to take 
certain measures for eliminating from school instruction the ele¬ 
ments of hatred and inculcating in young people's minds the dominat¬ 
ing ideas of the League of Nations." The work of the I.C.I.C. was 
stressed as a guide. The second Polish memorandum, February 13, 

1932, again stressed the recommendations and proposals of the I.C.I.C. 
(Casares Resolution) and drew attention to "the desirability of a 
general revision of school text-books." On February 24 the International 












23 


Institute submitted a memorandum of documentary material concern¬ 
ing its work, which included a passage on the revision of text¬ 
books. On March 15, the Polish Government submitted a Draft Con¬ 
vention for Moral Disarmament, embodying these ideas. 

The Committee for Moral Disarmament met through the spring 
and early summer of 1932, and prepared a draft convention for sub¬ 
mission to the Conference. The first wording was based on the 
Polish draft of March 15, and amendments were offered by the Brit¬ 
ish, Chinese and French delegations. These were adopted in prin¬ 
ciple by the Committee on July 13. On July 22 the I.C.I.C. sent 
the chairman of the Committee its proposals for wording of the 
draft. On July 30, the Committee reported to the President of the 
Conference that the draft had been prepared. From that time the 
Committee, like the Conference, met only desultorily, with long 
adjournments. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 38-43) 

On December 1, 1933, while the Conference was petering out 
after the breakdown brought about by the German withdrawal on 
October 14, 1933, the chairman of the Committee for Moral Disarma¬ 
ment sent the final text of the Draft (Document Conf. D.^ C.D.M. 

36) to the President of the Conference. The paragraphs relating 
to education reads 

Article 1. The High Contracting Parties undertake to 
use their powers or their influence to see that education 
at every stage, including the training of teachers, is so 
conceived as to inspire mutual respect between peoples and 
to emphasize their interdependence, which makes inter¬ 
national collaboration a necessity. 

Article 2. The High Contracting Parties will also do 
whatever lies in their power to see that teachers are 
guided by these principles. 

School textbooks should be prepared in the same spirit; 
those which are at variance with that spirit should be 
revised. 

The High Contracting Parties...undertake to recommend 
to their competent authorities that their country’s his¬ 
tory be taught in relation to the history of other countries. 

(League of Nations, Educational 
Survey, v. 4, Dec. 1933, p. 
220 - 221 ) 




24 


CONFERENCE OF ALLIED MINISTERS OF EDUCATION 

1943. The Conference was founded in London in October, 1942, 
with representatives of England,, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece,-* 
Holland, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Yugoslavia and France. In 
March 1943 a History Committee was set up under the Commission for 
books for European libraries. The Committee was "to consider the 
recommendations to be made to the Conference with regard to the 
production of history text-books of an objective character." The 
idea of a universal textbook of history for elementary schools of 
all nations was soon abandoned as impossible, but the Committee 
agreed on the idea of a book drawn up by experts and adapted to 
beginning college and teachers 8 training schools. Such a book 
"should attempt to describe the spiritual development of Europe 
as something to which each nation on the Continent has contributed 
its share." An accompanying handbook for teachers, and a volume of 
illustrations and charts were also planned. 

(United Nations Information 
Organization. Allied plan 
for education s the story of 
the conference of Allied 
Ministers of Education . Lon¬ 
don, H. M. Stationery off., 
1945, p. 1-2, 26-27) 


UNESCO 

The UNESCO Constitution was adopted on November 16, 1945 by 
the London Conference for the Establishment of ah Educational, 
Scientific and Cultural Organization. A Preparatory Commission 
for the permanent organization was set up at once. In its Report 
on the Programme of UNESCO , there is a call for "positive action 
with regard to text-books." The First Session of the General Con¬ 
ference of UNESCO, 1946, adopted a "Program for the Improvement of 
Textbooks and Teaching Materials as Aids in Developing International 
Understanding," to be begun in 1947. The Second Session, Mexico 
City, 1947, instructed the Director-General to continue the work 
according to this program. 

1946. Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Educational 
Scientific and Cultural Organization . 

Report on the Program of UNESCO suggests positive action 
to be taken in examination and eventual revision of school man¬ 
uals and encouragement of production of good books. (A sepa¬ 
rate report. Looking at the World through Textbooks , was issued, 
giving a resume of the be tween-war attempts and a program for 
further action.) The long-range plan, involved extending the 













25 


analysis and revision of textbooks to all subjects, more par¬ 
ticularly geography, civics, foreign languages and literature, 
and planning in consultation with national groups for the 
encouragement of books of the right kind. Emergency measures 
demanded securing the immediate cooperation of governments. A 
conference on the teaching of national history was suggested 
for 1947. 

1946. UNESCO. General Conference. 1st Session. Paris . 

The Conference adopted a “Program for the Improvement of 
Textbooks and Teaching Materials as Aids in Developing Inter¬ 
national Understanding," to be begun in 1947. ( See text of 
Program, Appendix E., p. 154) 

The Program for 1947 was approved by the Executive Board 
at its Second Session, April 10-15, 1947. In the improvement 
of textbooks and teaching materials, the following activities 
were called for: 

a. Draft a model method of text-book analysis, includ¬ 
ing the development of principles by which Member States 
might analyze their own textbooks and teaching materials. 

b. Compile an annotated list of existing bilateral 
or regional agreements on textbook revision. 

c. Collect at UNESCO House samples of textbooks most 
commonly used in various countries for the teaching of 
history, geography, civics and other subjects related to 
international understanding. 

d. Organize and initiate a study of the treatment of 
international cooperation in these text-books. 

(UNESCO. General Conference. 
1st session, 1946. Paris, 
1947, p. 271-272T 

1947. UNESCO. General Conference. 2d Session. Mexico City . 

The Program for 1948 proposed by the Executive Board 

called for activities 1 and 2 in the same form as a and b in 
1947, and followed with: 

3. Study of the treatment of international cooperation 
in the textbooks most commonly used in various countries 
for history, geography, civics and other subjects related 
to international understanding. 

4. Promoting the preparation by international groups 
of textbooks, manuals and other materials suitable for 
national adaptation, and especially: 

5. Continuing preparatory work looking toward a history 
of science and a cultural history of mankind revealing the 
mutual interdependence of peoples and cultures, and the 






26 


contributions made by every culture to the common herit¬ 
age of mankind. 

(UNESCO. Programme of UNESCO in 
1948 . proposed by the Executive 
Board for consideration at the 
2d session. Mexico City, Nov.- 
Dec. 1947, p. 19) 

In the Final Resolutions of the 2d session of UNESCO, 
Resolution 3.9, under "Teaching of International Understand¬ 
ing in Schools," was an instruction to the Director-General to 
continue the work outlined at the First Session. ( See Appendix 
F., p. 155) 



27 


2. Unofficial International Organizations 


Note : Unofficial International Organizations concerned 
with the revision of school textbooks are listed here in alpha¬ 
betical order, with chronological annotation of actions taken 
under each organization. To present a complete chronological 
picture, a calaider of congresses precedes the annotated list. 

CALENDAR OF UNOFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSES 

1919 Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, 

Zurich 

1921 Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, 

Vienna 

1922 International Peace Congress (International Federation 

of Trade Unions), The Hague 
International Moral Education Congress, 3d, Geneva 
International Union of League of Nations Societies, 

Prague 

1923 World Conference on Education (World Federation of Educa¬ 

tion Associations), San Francisco 
International Union of League of Nations Societies, 

Vienna 

1924 International Peace Bureau, Berlin 

International Union of League of Nations Societies, Lyons 

1925 Universal Congress of Churches (World Alliance and Uni¬ 

versal Christian Conference), Stockholm 
General Congress on Child Welfare, 1st, Geneva 
World Federation of Education Associations, 1st Biennial 
Conference, Edinburgh 

International Federation of Secondary School Teachers, 7th 
Congress, Belgrade 

1926 International Moral Education Congress, 4th, Rome 

World Alliance and Universal Christian Council, Committee 
Meeting, Berne 

International Federation of Secondary School Teachers, and 
International Union of League of Nations Societies, Joint 
Meeting, Geneva 

International University Federation for the League of Nations, 
3d Congress, Geneva 


















28 




1927 World Federation of Education Associations, 2d Conference, 

Toronto 

1928 World Alliance and Universal Christian Council, Prague 
International Conference on “Peace through the School”, 

(International Bureau of Education), Prague 
International Committee of Historical Sciences, Congress 
of Historians, Oslo 

International Union of League of Nations Societies, The 
Hague 

1929 International Peace Bureau, Congress, Athens 

World Federation of Education Associations, 3d Conference, 
Geneva 

International Federation of Secondary School Teachers, 

The Hague 

International Federation of Teachers’ Associations, 2d Con¬ 
gress, Bellinzona 

International Union of League of Nations Societies, Madrid 

1930 International Moral Education Congress, 5th, Paris 
International Committee of Historical Sciences, Oxford 
International Federation of Teachers’ Associations, 3d Con¬ 
gress, Prague 

International University Federation for the League of Nations, 
Geneva 

1931 World Federation of Education Associations, 4th Conference, 

Denver 

International Committee of Historical Sciences, Budapest 

1932 International Conference for the Teaching of History, The 

Hague 

International Committee of Historical Sciences, The Hague 
International Federation of Teachers’ Associations, 5th Con¬ 
gress, Luxembourg 

Committee of Representatives of International Student Organ¬ 
izations, 7th Congress, Paris 

Universal Alliance' of Catholic Educationists, Founding Meet¬ 
ing 

1933 International Committee of Historical Sciences, 7th Congress, 

Warsaw 

International Federation of Teachers’ Associations, 6th Con¬ 
gress, Santander 

International Union of League of Nations Societies, Montreux 
World Federation of Education Associations, 5th Conference 
Dublin ’ 

























29 


1934 International Conference for the Teaching of History, 2d, 

Basle 

1935 International Federation of Teachers’ Associations, 8th 

Congress, Oxford -Joint Meeting with: 

International Federation of Secondary School Teachers, 

Oxford , and 

World Federation of Education Associations, 6th Conference, 
Oxford . 

International Union of League of Nations Societies, Brussels 

1936 International Federation of University Women, 8th Congress, 

Krakow 

International Council of Women, General Assembly, Dubrovnik 
World Peace Congress, 1st (International Peace Campaign), 
Brussels 

1937 International Congress of Primary Teaching, Paris 
International Union of League of Nations Societies, Bratis ¬ 
lava 

World Federation of Education Associations, 7th Conference, 
Tokyo 

1938 International Committee of Historical Sciences, 8th Congress, 

Zurich 

International Conference of Professors, London 

1946 World Conference of the Teaching Profession, Endicott. N.Y . 

1947 International Conference on Public Education, 10th, Geneva 

















30 


CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE 

Im 1921 the Executive Committee of the European Center of the 
Carnegie Endowment instituted an inquiry into the treatment of the 
causes and results of the First World War in the most recent text¬ 
books of the ex-belligerent nations. This was the first systematic 
inquiry of this nature, covering in two volumes (1923 and 1927) most 
of the countries of Europe, and had great influence in subsequent 
work on textbook revision. ( See Studies, p. 110) 

COMMITTEE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS 
1932. 7th Session. Paris . 

Resolution no. 5 expressed the Committee's interest in and 
approval of the work of revising school textbooks of the I.I.I.C., 
urged its member organizations to give the widest publicity to 
this work, "to encourage the organization of study meetings on 
this problem for students of training schools for teachers," and 
directed attention to the proposed International Congress on the 
Teaching of History, The Hague. 

(I.I.I.C. Bulletin, Apr. 1932, 
p. 30-31) 


INTERNATIONAL BUREAU OF EDUCATION 

Founded in 1925, with headquarters in Geneva, the Bureau acts 
as an international center of information and educational research, 
providing data to and receiving data from national Ministries of Educa¬ 
tion. Forty-two governments sent representatives to its pre-war con¬ 
ferences. 

In 1926 the Bureau arranged for the joint meeting of the Inter¬ 
national Union of League of Nations Societies and the International 
Federation of Secondary School Teachers at Geneva, and in connection 
set up an exhibit of history and geography school textbooks which led 
to a permanent exhibition for the teaching of peace and international 
collaboration. A bibliography based on questionnaires to libraries, 
editors, teachers, etc., in different countries was published in Eng¬ 
lish in 1932. ( See Studies, Children's Books and International Good¬ 
will, p. 119) 

1928. International Conference on "Peace through the School ,» 
Prague . 

This conference, organized by the Bureau, was supported by 
the Czechoslovakian government. A number of the leading educa¬ 
tors and historians interested in textbook revision took part in 







31 


the discussion. Proposals were made for formulation of 
points of view which authors of manuals, publishers'and 
education authorities would be asked to consider, for 
examination of complaints made by national committees in 
regard to foreign textbooks by a neutral committee, and for 
an international committee to work with and report on the 
efforts of national committees. The final resolutions 
endorsed the work of the Moral Education Congress, the 
teachers’ associations and the International Committee of 
Historical Sciences, and approved the standards of the 
Berne resolutions of the Universal Christian Conference 
on Life and Work. The entire proceedings of the Conference 
were published in a volume by Pierre Bovet of Switzerland, 
La Paix par l’Ecole . ( See Studies, p. 118) 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book 
revision , p. 63-65) 


INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF HISTORICAL SCIENCES 

This influential committee, founded in Geneva in 1926, 
included among its members leading historians who represented 
43 countries. At one of the first meetings the Secretary General, 

M. Lheritier of France, proposed a History Teaching Commission, 
which was set up by the first general Congress. 

1928. General meeting . Gottingen 

A program was suggested for the reform of history teach¬ 
ing, which included proposals for comparative surveys of text¬ 
books. In discussion the question of revision of textbooks 
was stressed, but the committee warned against accepting any 
right of inspection of works, a right which it felt would only 
weaken its authority. 

1928. Congress a Oslo 

The Committee received reports on the teaching of history, 
including the 2-volume compilation on nationalism in history 
textbooks prepared by the Education Committee of the World 
Alliance and Universal Christian Conference. ( See p. 47$ 
also Studies, p.116) This was followed by discussion and a 
resolution expressing the wish "that the teaching of history, 
drawing its inspiration from the best traditions of humanism, 
should contribute to the work being undertaken among the 
nations today for a better mutual knowledge and understanding." 
A resolution, presented by M. Reimann of Berlin, for "an inter¬ 
national commission of professors of history and historians 
charged with the task of examining history textbooks and of 
proposing and working out modifications thereto favorable to 








32 


an •understanding between the nations," was rejected. Instead 
the Commission on the Teaching of History was charged to study 
possible approaches to the problem. 

1929. Meeting of Commission. Venice . 

Provisions were made for two inquiries into the teaching 
of history, one in elementary, the other in secondary schools, 
both to be conducted on the basis of national reports. 

1930. Congress. London and Oxford . 

21 national reports on elementary teaching, with a general 
report by M. Capra, were submitted, and 10 on secondary teach¬ 
ing. (These reports were printed in the Committee Bulletin, 
and in the American publication, Historical Outlook . See 
Studies, p. 119.) The Commission proposed asking each country 
for a list of the textbooks most widely in use. 

1931o Congress. Budapest . 

A report on elementary school teaching, by M. Capra, based 
on 31 national reports, stressed the value of an inquiry into 
textbooks conducted by historians of internationally recognized 
competence. ( See Studies, p. 120) Important papers on the 
subject have been published in the Bulletin of the Commission. 
The results of the next year in history teaching "increasingly 
a n imated by truth and the scientific spirit," and becoming more 
and more "an instrument of mutual understanding between the 
nations," were requested from the National Committees. 

1932. Congress. The Hague . 

At this meeting, which followed immediately after the Con¬ 
ference on the Teaching of History, the committee planned, 
among other resolutions, to request the national committees: 

"1. to state what has been done in their country in order to 
raise the scientific level of school textbooks and to eliminate 
without prejudice to scientific objectivity all judgments from 
textbooks liable to embitter the relations between nations; 2. 
to present proposals as to the most suitable means of guaran¬ 
teeing both scientific objectivity and the spirit of concilia¬ 
tion in textbooks (creation of reviews, critical bulletins, 
etc.). 1 ' 

A report on secondary school teaching of history, based 
on 26 national reports, was read by M„ Boyeses. ( See Studies, 
p. 120) 

(For 1928-1932, I.I.I.C. School 
text-book revision . p„ 66-74) 
See also International Com¬ 
mittee of Historical Sciences, 
Bulletin , v. 1-7, 1928-1935, 
passim.) 











33 


1933. 9th Congress. Warsaw 

Section XIV, on the teaching of history, discussed how 
to develop scientific criteria in history, and adopted a reso¬ 
lution to enlarge the bases of international cooperation, pass¬ 
ing from discussions of aims and programs to a coordinated and 
systematic cooperation of historians, psychologists and teachers. 
It was reported that the national reports on teaching of history 
in elementary schools now numbered 39, and those on secondary 
schools 35. The request made at the 1931 Congress in Budapest 
for reports on history teaching in universities had produced 17 
national reports. 

(International Committee of Histor¬ 
ical Sciences, Bulletin , v. 8, 

Dec. 1936, p. 501-506) 

1936. Meeting. Bucarest . 

The meeting of French and German historians for collabora¬ 
tion on a text was discussed, and a resolution passed urging 
similar conferences between representatives of neighboring 
states on the revision of school histories. The Declaration 
of the League of Nations was approved. A report on the inquiry 
regarding university teaching was promised for the 1936 Congress. 
(Publication of the results of this inquiry was interrupted in 
1939 by the war.) 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , no.64.-r 
65, Apr.-May, 1936, p. 45) 

1938. Congress. Zurich . 

A speech was made by Mile. Rothbarth of the International 
Institute, surveying the accomplishments in textbook revision. 

The last meeting of the I.C.I.C. in July 1938, had urged 
national committees to submit model passages from school texts 
showing objective treatment of controversial subjects, and the 
Congress passed a resolution endorsing such action. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , no. 
91-92, July-Sept. 1938, p. 424) 


INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR THE TEACHING OF HISTORY 

This Conference was originally proposed by Prof, Rafael Alta- 
mira, distinguished Spanish historian and justice of the World 
Court, at the 5th International Congress of Moral Education, Paris, 
1930, and was called for by the International Bureau of Education 
in 1931. The International Committee of Historical Sciences gave 
enthusiastic support, and great hopes were placed on it—M. Isaac 
of France remarked later that it had failed through excess of ambi¬ 
tion. The agenda worked out at a preparatory meeting in Paris in 
1932, presided over by Prof. Altamira, listed points chiefly to be 
considered: 1. the role to be given in history teaching in lower 









34 


schools to the history of civilization and the essential facts of 
contemporary history 5 2 . the order of preference and the relation¬ 
ships of national to universal history, and of geography to his- 
tory; 3 . consequently, the ideal content of school textbooks; 4® 
consideration of specific ideal textbooks for lower schools and 
"the requirements with regard to the suppression of errors and pre¬ 
judices." 

1932. 1st Conference. The Hague . 

Reports on the points of the agenda were presented, on 
the first three by MM. Dumas and Lapierre of France, on the 
fourth by M. Ter Meulen of Holland, summarizing reports sub¬ 
mitted by a number of national and international organizations. 
Papers included Frederick J. Gould’s "Question of the Revision 
of School History-books," Helen Corke’s "The Ideal Contents of 
School History-books," accounts of historical teaching and 
internationalism in Belgium, France and South America, and an 
outline for a book to be written jointly by historians of two 
nations, "A Manual of Franco-German Relations," by Prof. Kern 
of Germany and M„ de Pange of France. 

The resolutions, reported by the secretary, M. Michel 
Lheritier, included one urging meetings of representative his¬ 
torians of neighboring states to work out textbooks satisfac¬ 
tory to both. No new committee was requested for the revision 
of manuals, which was considered the province of the I.C.I.C., 
but an international office for collection of textbooks and 
for publication of an international bulletin was decided upon. 
The application of the amended Gasares Resolution was recom¬ 
mended strongly to all member associations. It was again 
stressed "that the work of revising textbooks should not 
assume the character of governmental or disciplinary measures," 
and that it was up to the national and international committees 
of historical sciences to work out programs of action. 

The Bulletin Trimestriel . an ambitious publication, was 
begun but lasted through only two issues. The second issue, 
(Paris, 1933), carried the full report of the Conference. ( See 
Studies, p. 120) 

1934* 2d Conference, Basle . 

Reports on the status of teaching in secondary schools, 
mostly as to relative attention to national and world history, 
were presented by the national representatives. The German 
delegation stressed the importance of teaching history in a 
national-socialist sense. The French and Swiss agreed that his¬ 
tory must include nationalism, but must educate the pupil to 
understand divergent currents of opinion in other countries, 
and suggested that older pupils might be given variant texts 
and allowed to form their own judgments. The American delegate 
felt it would be impossible to teach history without national 





35 


tendencies, since teachers could not fail to feel national 
influences. The Polish and Czechoslovakian delegates agreed 
with the French and Swiss that internationalism was possible, 
and the Czech speaker listed the principles, which went even 
beyond the Casares provisions, according to which Czech text¬ 
books had been revised. In Fascist Italy textbooks were 
already under complete ideological control; the Italian dele¬ 
gate expressed his country's viewpoint by declaring that in 
Italian histories the common fault was over-emphasis on gen¬ 
eral history at the expense of national history, and that 
Italian textbooks were largely free of "that spirit of impe¬ 
rialism which often stains other historical presentations. 

If the often-asked-for revision of textbooks is made, I think 
more corrections will be needed in foreign books than in 
ours...As far as I know, no demands for rectification have 
been made by other countries regarding Italian manuals. On 
the contrary, foreign textbooks might be mentioned, the adop¬ 
tion of which has been forbidden by the Italian government 
because they contain unfair judgments regarding other nations." 

The 3d International Conference, proposed at Madrid in 
1937, was postponed because of the Spanish Civil War. 

(International Committee of His¬ 
torical Sciences, Bulletin , 
v. 4, Nov. 1932, p-. ,763-766; . 
v. 7, 1935, p, 165-196; Coop ¬ 
eration intellectuelle , no. 42 , 
Aug.-Sept. 1934, p. 299-300) 


INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF PROFESSORS 

1936. International Conference of Professors, London . 

A resolution called for the teaching of international rela¬ 
tions in the schools, which should include knowledge of other 
nations and peoples, some realization of the world-wide inter¬ 
dependence of men and nations, a knowledge of relations between 
states and the organization of international intercourse. The 
Conference stressed the individual responsibility of the teacher 
to teach the truth without prejudice or bias, racial or national, 
and urged that at least in the last year of schooling curricula 
should include a study of the organization and work of the League 
of Nations. 

(International Committee of His¬ 
torical Sciences, Bulletin, no. 
42, Jan. 1939, p. 98-99)" 





36 


INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PUBLIC EDUCATION 

1947., 10th International Conference on Public Education . 

Geneva . 

This Conference, organized by the International Bureau 
of Education sind UNESCO, was attended by 73 delegates from 
42 countries. Point 1 of the agenda was consideration of 
reports on national educational movements of the past year. 

It was noted that there was "an increasing awareness of the 
importance of education.. 0 to international understanding." 

Point 4 was a proposed teachers* charter, which "should 
recognize clearly the teacher’s relationship to his state, 
stressing particularly the fact that education is intimately 
related to community life--a relationship which must be 
strengthened, never weakened. Consequently the charter should 
grow from national groups to the world level." 

(Jones, Galen (chairman of U.S. 
delegation). "10th international 
conference on public education." 
U.S. Dept, of State Bulletin , v. 
17, Sept. 1947, p. 510-513) 

INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PRIMARY TEACHING AND POPULAR EDUCATION 
1937. Congress. Paris . 

A meeting of representatives from 30 countries heard 
reports from national branches of England, France, Norway and 
other countries, in which textbook revision was discussed in 
connection with teaching for peace and international collab¬ 
oration. The "Norden" arrangements were reported on, and M. 
Jules Isaac, the French Inspector General of Education, read 
a paper on the Franco-German colloquy of 1935. 

(Congres International de l’En- 
seignement Primaire et de 
1'Education populaire. Compte 
rendu . Paris, 1938, p. 347-364) 


FIRST GENERAL CONGRESS ON CHILD WELFARE 
1925. Congress. Geneva . 

A resolution was adopted urging "all members of the teach- 
ing profession in every country to teach history in a human 
and fraternal spirit, inspired by the close interdependence of 
the nations," and that national governments call on the League 
of Nations to help them in educational programs, which should 









37 


include the revision of texts. 

(Congres International de l 5 En¬ 
fant, Compte rendu . Geneva, 
1925, p. 111-112) 


INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN 

Founded at Washington in 1888, with membership of forty mil¬ 
lion, representing women's councils in 41 countries. 

1936c General Assembly, Dubrovnik 

Resolutions include: to encourage better education of 
children for international understanding by creating in the 
schools a spirit of agreement and mutual understanding, by 
reform, if necessary, of textbooks and teaching of such sub¬ 
jects as history, geography and civicso 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , no. 
75-76, Mar.-Apr. 1937, p. 153- 
154) 


INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS SOCIETIES 

The League of Nations Societies, founded in 1919, in 38 mem¬ 
ber and non-member countries, stressed as one of the chief aspects 
of their program of "selling” the League to the general public, 
education of school children in the League principles. Beside 
the indoctrination of teachers and the introduction of literature 
on the League, this program involved the revision of school texts. 
Discussions of the school book question at many general sessions 
as well as at meetings of the Committee on Education followed 
closely the work of the I.C.I.C. and the national and regional 
groups. 

1922. 6 th Congress, Prague . 

The project of "Propaganda through the Schools" included 
"earnest advice to the national societies to examine the 
manuals of history and civics in use in their respective coun¬ 
tries and to make every effort to procure the elimination of 
anything likely to encourage chauvinism and likely to damage 
the ideal of world peace, 

( Bulletin *, no. J+, Oct. 1922, 

P. 31) 


1923. 6 th Congress. Vienna . 

The First Commission (Propaganda) passed a resolution for 
a permanent commission to examine textbooks "with a view to 








discovering how far these books contain partisan statements 
inimical to the friendly cooperation of nations.” 

( Bulletin , no. 3, p. 4) 

1924* 8th Congress. Lyons . 

A resolution was passed to ask the national societies 
"to invite the cooperation of appropriate organizations 
such as the historical and geographical associations, 
teachers’ associations and the Ministries of Education” in 
the revision of existing texts and the scrutiny of new works. 

( Bulletin Supplement . 1924, p. 
79-80) 

1928. 12th Congress. The Hague . 

Discussion included a review of earlier resolutions "to 
take steps so that school textbooks, particularly history 
textbooks, include chapters on the League of Nations and 
that passages likely to foster hatred between peoples are 
eliminated." 

( Bulletin Supplement . 1928, p. 94) 


1929. 13th Congress. Madrid . 

Prof. C. Bougie of the Education Committee reported on the 
"promotion of mutual understanding between peoples," and men¬ 
tioned "the quite remarkable progress realized in recent times, 
particularly in France, in the sense of a finer spirit of peace 
and goodwill in school textbooks. The elimination of seeds of 
discord and hatred from such books was not in itself enough. A 
quite new oral and written teaching had to be imparted." The 
resolution of the Congress was to help the national organizations 
in continuing their work. 

( Bulletin Supplement . 1929, p. 52, 
105) 

1 

1933. 17th Congress. Montreux . 

In discussion of the work of the International Institute 
of Intellectual Cooperation it was recommended that member 
societies "approach their national committees of intellectual 
cooperation, in countries where no such subcommittee already 
exists, with the request that such subcommittees should be set 
up, to undertake studies of the typical textbooks on history, 
geography, civics and similar subjects.. .and to make an exchange 
of the textbooks in question." 

( Bulletin Supplement . 1933, p. 108) 

1935. 19th Congress. Brussels . 

Urged national societies to take steps to ensure sending 
of school textbooks to the League of Nations Library or some 












39 


other center in Geneva for international examination. (A 
German memorandum had been prepared for this meeting sug¬ 
gesting extensive measures for mutual examination of text¬ 
books by neighboring countries but as Germany sent no repre¬ 
sentatives to the Congress, the question was not considered.) 

1937. 21st Congress. Bratislava . 

Recorded its appreciation of the international instrument 
of the League, declaration regarding the revision of school 
textbooks.” 

( Bulletin Supplement . 1937, p. 90) 
*(International Federation of 
League of Nations Societies. 
Congresses, 1922-1937. Proceed¬ 
ings published as Supplement to 
quarterly Bulletin ) 


INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS 

Organized in 1912, with primary purpose of cultivating friend¬ 
ship and international unity between its members from 20 European 
national federations. 

1925. 7 th Congress. Belgrade . 

At the request of a number of delegates, the teaching of 
history and geography was placed on the agenda of the next 
conference, and a questionnaire was submitted to national 
groups asking about their country’s aims in teaching history, 
existing methods, and possible reforms. 

1926. 8 th Congress. Geneva . 

National reports on the teaching of history and geogra¬ 
phy stressed the need for teachers to inculcate international 
spirit and knowledge of other countries. Incidental refer¬ 
ences are made to revision of textbooks. German and French 
delegates described the reform of postwar school texts in pro¬ 
gress in their countries. 

1929. 11th Congress. The Hague . 

The Dutch delegate, Mr. Buurveld, spoke at length on text¬ 
book revision, referring to current inquiries by Hungary into 
Dutch books, and to the work done by the Netherlands Abroad 
Association . He cited the Casares Resolution and proposed that 
national institutions and organizations search methods ”to get 
everything that can arouse or stimulate sentiments of hostil¬ 
ity between the peoples omitted from school textbooks.” His 
specific proposals followed in general the recommendations of 










40 


the I.C.I.C., and the Federation recommended their applica¬ 
tion to all its members. 

(I.I.I.C, School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 78-81)' 


INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATIONS 

This organization, founded on the initiative of the French 
and German National Unions”of Teachers in 1926 especially for 
Franco-German rapprochement, acted as coordinator of individual 
efforts of its member national associations (by 1934> 20 European 
nations and 4 Latin American, total membership 534»000). It had 
as one of its two statutory objectives the cooperation of teachers 
and schools in international peace. The questions of eliminating 
warlike material from existing textbooks and of preparing new 
texts calculated to promote friendship between nations formed a 
basic part of the program and were discussed at all meetings. In 
1932 a long report by the Secretary, M. Lapierre, summarized pre¬ 
vious activities, which were closely related to those of the Inter¬ 
national Institute of Intellectual Cooperation. 

1928. 1st Congress. Berlin . 

Resolution no. 5 announced a campaign against warlike 
textbooks and for international impartiality in teaching. 

1929. 2d Congress. Bellinzona . 

M. Lapierre*s report on "The School in the Service of 
Reconciliation of Peoples" stressed the efforts made by 
French and German historians to eradicate the bellicose 
attitude in the history texts of the immediate postwar period. 
A resolution was adopted affirming the determination of the 
Associations to ’’direct their teaching towards an understand¬ 
ing of international solidarity; elimination of tendentious 
books..." 

1930. 3 d Congress. Prague . 

A questionnaire submitted by the Secretariat to the mem¬ 
ber associations following the 1929 Congress, on "The School 
in the Service of Reconciliation of Peoples,” was discussed 
by the secretary. It included a request for statistical 
information on questionable texts, and methods attempted for 
their elimination or revision. A resolution was adopted for 
the national associations to supply the Secretariat with 
critical studies of warlike books in use in their countries. 

1932. 5th Congress. Luxembourg . 

Following the report of M. Lapierre (See Note above), 
resolutions were adopted which included: 







41 


National Associations affiliated to the I.F.T.A. 
will endeavor to convince their members of the urgency 
of eliminating from their teaching everything adverse 
to the goodwill or mutual respect of nations. 

They will avail themselves of the appropriate ways 
supplied by the school legislation of the country in 
order to obtain the elimination or expurgation of pre¬ 
judicial textbooks. 

( Bulletin , rto. 18, Dec. 1932, 

P. 49) 

1933. 6 th Congress. Santander . 

In connection with the Geneva Disarmament Conference 
jq.v.-j the question of moral disarmament in the school was 
discussed, and a questionnaire submitted asking for statis¬ 
tics on progress during the past year in "improvement of 
school textbooks by the elimination of misleading passages; 
compression of chapters devoted to war; greater prominence 
accorded to all that expresses the collaboration of leaders 
of thought and cooperation between nations." It was again 
stressed that a fundamental aim of the I.F.T.A. was "to 
eliminate from instruction fallacious interpretation of 
deeds leading to misunderstanding between nations." 

( Bulletin , no. 20, Feb. 1934> 
p. Ill ff.) 

1935. 8 th Congress. Oxford . 

In a questionnaire submitted in preparation for the 
1935 meeting, national associations were asked about govern¬ 
ment and private measures in the direction of teaching peace 
and international understanding, about public opinion and 
pressures, and for examples of desirable texts in history, 
geography, morals and readers. The report, by M. Lapierre, 
on "Opportunities for Organizing Peace Teaching in Schools" 
stresses the increasing opposition of nationalist press and 
fascist organizations to the teachers' associations in 
France, as in other countries. 

( Bulletin , no. 24, Jan. 1936, 
p. 51 ff.) 

In later Congresses the emphasis is shifted from revi¬ 
sion of texts to possibilities of publishing children's 
books which might be translated to bring about international 
goodwill. There are occasional regretful references to the 
Casares Resolution and questions as to its practical results, 
with recall of the achievements of the 'twenties. 

(International Federation of 







42 


Teachers’ Associations. Bulle ¬ 
tin trimestriel . Paris, 1927- 
1938, passim : Lapierre. "L’En- 
seignement international de 
l’histoire," Bulletin , no. 17, 
July, 1932, p. 30-42; Appendix 
of documents, p. 43-50) 


INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS 

Important organization, founded in 1901, reconstituted in 
1919, with affiliated membership by 1938 in 26 countries. 

1922. International Peace Congress. The Hague . 

At this special Congress, the 4th after the war, under 
the auspices of the I.F.T.U., a strong resolution on education 
was passed. 

...In the present stage of the evolution of 
humanity, war can no longer be tolerated as a method 
of settling differences between nations. 

The obligation of having recourse to pacific 
methods of settling such differences along the lines 
of arbitration should be inculcated as the highest 
expression of human conscience. And this principle 
should influence the education of children, young per¬ 
sons and adults... 

3. It is indispensable: 

a. that the teaching in the public schools and 
the training of teachers should be inspired by the 
principle enunciated above... 

f. that control should be organized over the 
manuals, books, school libraries and all educational 
equipment in order to eliminate everything which might 
tend to arouse or cultivate militarist nationalism. 

(International Peace Congress, 

The Hague. 1922 . Report of the 
international peace congress 

held...under the auspices of 

the International Federation of 

Trade Unions . Dec. 10-15, 1922. 
Amsterdam, International Feder¬ 
ation of Trade Unions, 1923, 
Appendix, p. 205) 













43 


INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN 

Founded in 1919 by women graduates of American, British and 
Canadian universities (over 50,000 members), to promote inter¬ 
national understandingo The membership included 34 countries, 

1936. 8 th Congress. Krakow . 

Bulletin no. 18 contains resolutions, including a 
number urging teaching of internationalism by objective 
viewpoints, textbooks including more information on small 
countries, works emphasizing civil affairs and leaving out 
national rivalries, the preparation of histories and geo¬ 
graphies which convey truth and tolerance. 

(Cooperation intellectuelle, no. 

75-76, Mar.-Apr. 1937, p. 154) 

INTERNATIONAL MORAL EDUCATION CONGRESS 

1922. 3d Congress. Geneva . 

The organizing committee at a preliminary meeting in 
1921 adopted a proposal that one of the two subjects of the 
agenda be "The International Spirit and the Teaching of His¬ 
tory." A Report was presented to the Congress, which adopted 
the "Geneva Resolution," urging the most prominent historians 
of all countries to work for "the moral reform of the teaching 
of history conceived in a spirit of internationalism." An 
international committee of experts was set up to work out plans 
for prizes and awards to historians, but failed to function, 
both because of lack of funds and because its membership cut 
across that of the International Committee of Historical Sciences 
and other active specialized committees. 

1926. Ath Congress. Rome . 

M. Michel Lheritier, secretary of the International Com¬ 
mittee of Historical Sciences, read two papers on the relation 
of scientific history to teaching and suggested that the I.C.I.C. 
take the initiative in bringing about collaboration. 

1930. 5th Congress. Paris . 

The subject was the use of history as a means of moral 
education. M. Claparede proposed for the examination of school 
manuals criteria of objectivity, impartiality, no "double moral 
standard"—i.e. criticizing attitudes and practices of foreign 
nations while condoning them at home—exclusion of malevolence, 
true conceptions of war, development of international relations, 
support of international law, true conceptions of international 
law, exclusion of chauvinism ( See Studies, p.118). A resolution 







44 


was adopted for convening a special Congress on the teaching 
of history ( See International Conference for the Teaching of 
History). 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 59-63) 


INTERNATIONAL PEACE BUREAU 

Founded by Universal Peace Congress, 1892, with a membership 
extended to a.11 societies working for peace. From its earliest 
days the Bureau had considered the question of international ill 
will engendered through school textbooks. 

1924. Congress. Berlin . 

A resolution was passed demanding "an energetic and 
thorough revision of all school textbooks and of all liter¬ 
ature destined for the young," as well as increased publica¬ 
tion of writings stressing internationalism. 

1929. Congress. Athens . 

A resolution urged that the governments of all countries 
take action for education along lines of international good¬ 
will and demanded that school texts "be submitted to a revi¬ 
sion from that standpoint and that this revision take place 
•under the control of an international body such as the Com¬ 
mittee on Intellectual Cooperation." 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi - 
sion, p. 100) 

The Bureau continued to r eport on developments in textbook 
revision through the pages of its journal, Mouvement Pacifiste . 

The issue of Nov.-Dec. 1937 carried an article by the president, 
M. H. La Fontaine, "Le desarmement universe!; comment les peuples 
de la terre peuvent-ils le realiser?" in which there are outlined 
desirable modifications of the Pact of the League of Nations. 

Those on moral disarmament include: 

Total revision of the teaching of history to con¬ 
secrate it above all and in principal place to the devel¬ 
opment of the peaceful and productive work of men in all 
countries as well as to conquests in the intellectual 
domain. 

( Mouvement pacifiste . Nov.-Dec. 
1937, p. 73-80) 


INTERNATIONAL PEACE CAMPAIGN 

Launched by Lord Cecil and M. Pierre Cot in 1935, as coor¬ 
dinating organization for national peace groups. The 1936 Congress 








45 


was attended by 5,000 delegates from 35 countries* 

1936. World Peace Congress, 1st, Brussels . 

The Education Committee recommended that members demand 
"the moral and financial support of their governments” in 
making education of children and young people develop the 
spirit of peace, the procedure to be based, among other fac¬ 
tors, on "the adequate revision of textbooks and other teach¬ 
ing materials.” 

(World Peace Congress, 1st , 
Brussels /1936 . International 
Peace Campaign. Paris, Brussels 
Publishers "Labor,” 1935, p. 126; 


INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FEDERATION FOR THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS 

Organization representing national groups of 21 European nations 
with headquarters at Lausanne, formed in 1924 with the purpose of 
studying and popularizing the League of Nations. Their interest in 
revision of textbooks followed and abetted the action of the I.I.I.C. 

1926. 3d. Congress, Geneva . 

In discussing the popularization of the League in the 
schools, the revision of history texts was commented on and the 
progress made by national groups was noted. 

1930. Congress. Geneva . 

A permament committee was established for the study of 
propaganda in schools, and to examine and intensify the work 
of the I.I.I.C. The committee, meeting in Vienna in 1931, 
decided to organize a reciprocal exchange of textbooks between 
the member groups of the Federation and to collaborate with 
the I.I.I.C. in establishing permanent relations for textbook 
revision between groups of neighboring countries. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 103-1045 


JOINT COMMITTEE OF THE MAJCR INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS 

The joint or liaison committee, founded at the instigation of 
the I.I.I.C. in 1925, acted as go-between with the League of Nations 
organization for more than 20 international associations working for 
education in world peace and understanding. As a subsidiary of the 
I.C.I.C., its functions were largely interpretive of the programs of 
the Institute. 









46 


In 1930 the Committee, which had from its foundation con¬ 
sidered the need for international action regarding textbooks, was 
charged by the Institute to ask its member associations to "take 
an effective interest" in the programs outlined by the Casares 
Resolution. 

In 1932 the Joint Committee submitted to the International 
Conference on the Teaching of History at The Hague a proposal for 
the preparation of a historical textbook by two countries in col¬ 
laboration. 

In 1933 the Committee asked the I.I.I.C. to examine the 
possibility of inserting chapters from foreign works in textbooks 
for upper classes of secondary schools. 

(I.I.I.C. School -text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 101-102) 


UNIVERSAL ALLIANCE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATIONISTS (WELTVERBAND KATHO- 
LISCHER PADAGOGEN) 

1932. At the founding meeting, a resolution was adopted for 
all teachers' associations to work for removal from textbooks of 
passages "calculated to wound religious sentiment and lower the 
esteem for other nations." 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 106) 


WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM 

Founded by International Women's Congress, The Hague, 1915, 
with national sections in 27 countries and members from 22 more, 
its aim is to study, make known and destroy the political, social, 
economic and psychological causes of war. 

1919* Congress. Zurich 

The proposals for study by national sections included an 
educational program, in which, among other points for "crea¬ 
tion of an international spirit through education," it was 
stated: 

Everything which tends to hinder international 
understanding, to injure national pride, or to 
arouse hate and scorn for foreign peoples should be 
excluded from textbooks. (Report. Geneva. W T T. P F 

1920, p. 268) ~ . . . 






47 


1921. Congress, Vienna 

The resolution on education included one on school texts, 
recommending that the national sections "appoint committees 
to examine school texts, eliminating statements likely to 
foster misunderstanding and war, substituting statements cal¬ 
culated to promote respect and understanding." 

(W.I.L.P.F. Report , Geneva, 

1921, p. 262; see also W.I.L... 
Toronto . Studies, p. 116) 

WORLD ALLIANCE FOR PROMOTING INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP THROUGH 
THE CHURCHES and UNIVERSAL CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE ON LIFE AND WORK 

The World Alliance was founded in 1914> with national councils 
in 36 countries, including the United States. The Universal Christian 
Council was the outcome of the 1925 Congress at"Stockholm, which was 
attended by 600 delegates from 37 countries, representing practically 
all Protestant churches. The Alliance and the Council worked jointly 
and after 1932 had a joint secretariat and publication, The Churches 
in Action . 

1925. Universal Congress of Churches. Stockholm . 

The Congress considered a report presented by the com¬ 
mittee for the study of textbooks set up by the World Alliance 
in 1922, which had worked in close collaboration with the 
Swedish committee for the Congress, and adopted decisions based 
on the committee recommendations. These decisions noted the 
need for attention by national societies to the improvement of 
school histories and asked for an international education committee. 
A joint cne of the World Alliance and the Universal Christian Con¬ 
ference was appointed, under the chairmanship of Prof. Otto 
Nordenskjold of the Swedish committee. Prof. Nordenskjold’s 
paper, "School Textbooks in History," had been read at the 
Congress. 

1926. Berne Meeting of Joint Committee . 

The important resolutions taken by this meeting were 
widely quoted by other international and national groups. They 
outlined the objectives of their own and other organizational 
action as: 


a. A uniform method of dealing with obvious manifesta¬ 
tions of nationalistic propaganda in textbooks; 

b. The elimination from textbooks of all statements 
about other nations that have proved to be false; 

c. The avoidance of a double standard of moral judg¬ 
ment between one people and another; &.g. the people con¬ 
cerned being regarded as civilized, the other nations as 
barbarous or half-barbarous; disregard bf the cultural 









48 


achievements of other nations; 

d. The avoidance of general statements offensive to 
other nations. 

In order to achieve these ends the committee proposed to secure 
the cooperation of associations of teachers, historians and 
writers of textbooks, to encourage the study of history of 
other countries from a sympathetic point of view, and to encour¬ 
age publication of the results of investigations in reviews or 
professional journals. 

The committee prepared for submission to the International 
Congress of Historians at Oslo, 1928 (See International Com¬ 
mittee of Historical Sciences, p. 32) a very complete work, 
Report on Nationalism in History Textbooks , in 2 volumes ( See 
Studies, p. 106). Contributions had been sent by 17 European 
countries. The German report, by Dr. Arnold Reimann, was pub¬ 
lished as a supplement. 

1928. World Congress. Prague . 

The report for the Oslo Congress was discussed and severely 
criticized as biased, and the publication was withdrawn from 
general sale, to be placed at the disposal of specialists only. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revision, 

p. 84-891 


WORLD FEDERATION OF EDUCATION ASSOCIATIONS 

1923. World Conference on Education. San Francisco . 

This conference was held under the auspices of the National 
Education Association of America and attended by over 50 national 
divisions, many of them English-speaking nations. In its final 
session the World Federation of Education Associations was organ-j 
ized, with its objects "to secure international cooperation in 
educational enterprises...to cultivate international goodwill, 
and to promote the interests of peace throughout the world . n 
Resolution no. 8 was: 

”That the international education association under¬ 
take at once a study of ways and means to assist national 
educational bodies to see that the preparation of text¬ 
books and other methods of instruction employed by their 
own countries is governed by fairness and goodwill.” 

Specific recommendations were submitted: 

1. That an exchange of textbooks in use be effected 
between all countries. 








49 


2. That these textbooks be studied especially with 
a view to correcting misrepresentations about any country 
and to furnishing material that will foster international 
friendship. 

(World Conference on Education, 

San Francisco. 1923 . Proceed ¬ 
ings . Washington, National 
Education Assoc., 1923, p. 18- 
19) 

1925. 1st Biennial Conference. Edinburgh . 

Textbook revision was not discussed at the meetings, but 
Appendix IV of the Proceedings (v. 2, p. 923-927) outlines 
the so-called Herman-Jordan Plan. Following the 1923 con¬ 
ference, Mr. Raphael Herman, of Washington, D.C., offered a 
$25,000 award for the best educational plan calculated to pro¬ 
duce world concord. The plan accepted was that of Dr. David 
Starr Jordan, president emeritus of Stanford University. It 
called for the appointment of a number of committees for the 
study of various problems, among them one r, to investigate the 
teaching of history the world over and the aims of such teach¬ 
ing, said committee to report also on the textbooks used, their 
virtues, and their delinquencies, from the standpoint of inter¬ 
national amity, and stressing the need that history, whether 
elementary or advanced, should be just and true so far as it 
goes." 

1927. 2d Biennial Conference. Toronto. 

The text of the Herman-Jordan plan was read and discussed, 
and five Herman-Jordan Committees set up, the second of which 
was for "the teaching of history and patriotism." Mrs. Laura 
Ullrich, of the American Association of University Women, was 
chairman. (The A.A.U.W. had previously undertaken an inquiry 
on school textbooks, which was now finished with the aid of 
the W.F.E.A. See Studies, p. 133.) 

1929. 3rd Biennial Conference. Geneva . 

The Herman-Jordan Committee passed resolutions approving 
"the formation of an international advisory board of history 
scholars" and asked for a publicity campaign to change the 
attitude of teachers and public toward other nations. The 
Conference voted a resolution recommending "that in all schools 
an appropriate part of the time allotted to history teaching 
should be devoted to general history of the world and that 
statements calculated to alienate international friendship 
should be eliminated from history textbooks and from class dis¬ 
cussions." ( Proceedings . 1929, P. 244, 247) 

In connection with this meeting, the International Bureau 











50 


of Education assembled a collection of children’s books of 
all countries which led to a permanent exhibit in Geneva. 


1931. 4th Conference, Denver . 

A resolution of the Herman-Jordan Committee urged 
authors and publishers to revise their textbooks in his¬ 
tory and other social studies so as to include a record of 
the various steps which have been taken to promote world 
peace. ( Resolutions . 1931, p. 3) 

From that date, the chief efforts of the Committee have been 
for the addition of internationally constructive material rather 
than for the revision of texts. This was emphasized in a work¬ 
ing outline of the Herman-Jordan plan presented at the 5th Con ¬ 
ference. Dublin. 1933 . At the 6 th Conference. Oxford. 1935 . 

(a synchronized conference of the W.F.E.A., International Feder¬ 
ation of Associations of Secondary School Teachers, and the Inter¬ 
national Federation of Teachers' Associations) addresses were 
made by officials of the I.I.I.C. explaining that the Institute 
was ’’now devoting its attention to positive aspects of the problem 
(of teaching international goodwill) namely, to emphasize construc¬ 
tive action in favor of the preparation of schoolbooks in a spirit 
of international accord,” to which end it was collecting samples 
of desirable passages. A similar trend was evinced in the meetings 
of the Herman-Jordan Committee at the 7th Conference. Tokyo. 1937 . 
In 1939, at a meeting during the goodwill cruise to Latin and South 
America, the Herman-Jordan section resolved to change its name to 
Committee on Education in International Relations, and in its 
statement of purposes and methods recommended: 

12. Critical review of present textbooks in features 
relating to international attitudes, and the development 
of texts adequate from this point of view. ( Proceedings . 
1939, p. 155) 

(World Federation of Education 
Associations. Proceedings of 
the lst-7th Conferences, 1925- 
1937, passim .) 


WORLD ORGANIZATION OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION (PROPOSED) 

1946. World Conference of the Teaching Profession. Endicott , 
New York . 

A group of delegates of 38 national educational associa¬ 
tions, with a number of observer-advisors from professional 
and intergovernmental organizations, came together at the 
invitation of the National Education Association of America 













51 


to form an organization for worldwide cooperation in educa¬ 
tion. A Constitution was drafted and a Preparatory Commis- 
tion appointed. A part of the function of the proposed 
organization is "to advise the appropriate organs of the 
United Nations and other international bodies on educational 
and professional matters." 

Resolution 2. "On the teaching of history," called for 
curricula "that will give students a knowledge of the develop¬ 
ment of civilization throughout the world...awaken young 
people to sense of their responsibilities to all mankind." 

Resolution 7. "On the improvement of textbooks," 
began: "The need for eliminating from the textbooks con¬ 
tent characterized by national biases and propaganda designed 
to promote aggressive nationalism has long been recognized, 
but it has been very difficult to establish means for the 
solution of the problem." The Conference noted with approval 
the proposals of UNESCO and endorsed them. It rejected the 
idea of a single textbook for all nations as being impracti¬ 
cable, except perhpas for a textbook on the United Nations 
and related international organizations. It considered 
"feasible and desirable" internationally prepared handbooks 
for teachers on topics of international scope. 

(World Conference of the Teaching 

Profession, Endicott, N.Y .. 

1946. Proceedings . Washington, 

1947, p. 89) 




52 


B . Regional 


NORDEN ASSOCIATIONS 

The "Norden" Associations (The North) were formed in 1919 By 
Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and joined by Iceland in 1922 and 
Finland in 1924. They were dedicated to inter-Scandinavian coop¬ 
eration in all fields, cultural, economic and political. Among 
other accomplishments, they did outstanding work in the realm of 
textbook revision, and have been frequently cited as a model for 
regional collaboration. 

In 1919 the Norway "Norden" Association executive com¬ 
mittee considered the case of a Swedish history textbook, 
to which their attention had been drawn by the Secretary 
of the Interparliamentary Union, and decided that the "Nor¬ 
den" Associations should attempt a program of mutual text¬ 
book revision. They proceeded at once on such a program 
in Norway, appointing a committee of educational leaders 
to make a study of the treatment of Sweden and Denmark in 
Norwegian school histories and geographies. The Swedish 
"Norden" Association agreed to make a similar study, going 
beyond the question of wrong treatment to that of inade¬ 
quacy of historical teaching about the neighboring countries. 
The Danish "Norden" Association appointed an education com¬ 
mittee which in 1921 issued a memorandum proposing that 
each country let its books be examined by the neighboring 
countries, rather than by its own critics, and the Asso¬ 
ciation declared itself "ready to accept a mutual revision 
of school textbooks" with Norway and Sweden. 

In 1922 the education committees of the three national 
associations met at Copenhagen. The Norwegian and Swedish 
reports on their own textbooks in history and geography had 
already been turned in—pointing out omissions rather than 
corrections—and the Danish report was in progress. When 
the Danish proposal of 1921 was considered, the Norwegian 
section disagreed, feeling that the question of editing 
school books was one that should be solely within the com¬ 
petence of the country itself, and that the Danish plan 
might lead to misunderstandings and do more harm than good. 
The Danish committee yielded, and a resolution was adopted, 
which read: 

The "Norden" Associations urge authors of school 
history and geography textbooks to get into touch with 
a colleague of the neighboring countries asking him in 
a friendly way to read through their books before 



53 


publication or re-edition. Where authors have no per¬ 
sonal connections with colleagues in the neighbor coun¬ 
tries, the education committees of the ’♦Norden" Associa¬ 
tions could put them into touch with such. 

In 1928 the Finnish "Norden" committee showed interest in 
the Swedish proposal of 1920, for correcting inadequacies. This 
was approved at a meeting of history professors in Helsinki in 
1931. 

In 1932, at a meeting of the H Norden rt Associations, the Nor¬ 
wegian committee admitted that the 1922 appeal had had no results 
and that a reciprocal examination of manuals, as suggested by 
Denmark, was desirable. A Joint Committee on History Instruction 
was appointed, consisting of one representative of each country. 
Meeting at Stockholm in 1933, the committee established a defi¬ 
nite plan of action, according to which each member should choose 
the most influential history textbooks of his country and send 
them to the members of the other countries, who would pass them 
to national commissions of experts for preliminary reports, to 
be submitted to the joint committee, which would then propose 
further action, by approaching publishers, authors, educational 
authorities, etc. The committee adopted a set of general criteria, 
drawn up on the basis of its discussions, to serve as a guide for 
the national examiners. 

In 1935 after some 170 volumes had been examined and reported 
on, the Committee met and agreed: 1. that all textbooks except 
one were faulty; 2. that the authors had clung to outmoded view¬ 
points rather than using results of recent scientific study; 3. 
that the books were too often nationalistic in their treatment of 
wars. They realized that they could not reconcile all views by 
examination and discussion, so they undertook to prepare models 
showing how controversial subjects (e.g., the union between Norway 
and Sweden, 1814-1905) should be treated, with an outline of the 
history of each country in the light of the latest scientific 
opinion and an explanation of a common viewpoint. They also under¬ 
took preparatory resumes of points to be stressed in the history 
of each country. 

The results of the studies and reciprocal examination of texts 
by the Joint Committee and the system of practical collaboration, 
in which some twenty publishers and many authors had cooperated, 
are described in two volumes published by the ^Norden” Associations 
In 1937 and 1940. (See Studies, p. 120) In Finland and Norway, 
approval of school texts by the Ministries of Public Instruction 
was necessary, and the ^Norden" Associations approached publishers in 
Sweden and Denmark. Approval of the Committee, which authors were 


54 


allowed to cite on their title-pages, (See Conference of Scandi¬ 
navian Teachers' Associations, Copenhagen, 1930) carried influ¬ 
ential prestige, and authors by the late 'thirties had got in 
the way of sending their manuscripts to the Committee before 


publication. 

(Report of work of "Norden" Asso¬ 
ciations, sent by Prof. Aage 
Friis, Denmark. Cooperation 
intellectuelle , Dec. 1937, spe¬ 
cial no. P* 109-114* 

Falnes, Oscar J. "International 
revision of History textbooks 
particularly as affected by 
Scandinavian scholars." School 
and society (New York) v. 48, ' 
Aug. 20, 1938, p. 225-230) 


TEACHERS' ASSOCIATIONS OF THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES 

In 1928 the representatives of the Danish, Norwegian and 
Swedish Associations of Elementary School Teachers, meeting at 
Bergen, Norway, appointed a committee to look into the question 
of revising history textbooks. 

In 1930, at a meeting in Copenhagen, the committee reported, 
following a study of textbooks of all three countries, in which 
they had found many divergences. They suggested establishment 
of a committee in each country, to which the authors of the neigh¬ 
boring countries were to submit their books in manuscript. The 
committee would inform the executive of the author's country of 
their decision. If the book were approved, the author would be 
given the right to mention this on the printed work. 

The Copenhagen meeting decided for the scheme, and the 
Swedish Association adopted the decision in 1931. In 1932 the 
"Norden" Associations' committees were set up for much the same 
purpose. 

(I.I.I.C.' School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 114-116) 


ASSOCIATIONS OF SCANDINAVIAN HISTORY PROFESSORS 

1931. Third Congress, Helsinki , organized by the Finnish 
"Norden" Association. The Congress adopted a resolution asking 
the authors of school textbooks of history in the neighboring 









55 


countries to obtain the collaboration of professors of these 
countries, using the good offices of the secretariat of the 
"Norden" Associations. This led to the establishment of the 
"Norden" committees of experts and the systematic examination of 
school histories. 

( Ibid , p. 114) 


INTER-BALKAN CONFERENCES 

1930. 1st Balkan Conference. Athens . 

The Conference, recognizing the conflicts and hatreds 
that had separated the Balkan peoples, passed resolutions 
for immediate steps to bring about intellectual rapproche¬ 
ment, including exchanges of professors and students, vaca¬ 
tion trips, teaching of each other's languages, etc., etc. 
Resolution No. 7 was for: 

Effective correctives to be applied to teaching in 
general and to the teaching of history in particular in 
the Balkan countries, for elementary and secondary educa¬ 
tion in the Balkan Peninsula must be placed in the serv¬ 
ice of peace and must not have an aggressive character. 

The Committee requests the governments for their support 
in an effort to underline the points of contact, the rel¬ 
ations between the social and economic institutions, the 
intellectual and artistic creations of the Balkan coun¬ 
tries, by eliminating from history text-books those chapters 
which arouse hatred and which recall wars. It believes 
that instructions to this effect can be given by the 
Governments. 

1931. 2d Conference, Istanbul . 

Pursuing the same hope, the second resolution of the 
Conference required; 

That the members of the teaching profession point 
out to their respective Ministries any passages in school 
books which might injure good understanding between our 
countries. 

Other resolutions were for the publication and distri¬ 
bution of works about the different countries and for trans¬ 
lations of selections of history and literature of the coun¬ 
tries to be introduced into school readers. 

1932. 3d Conference. Bucharest . 

In line with the "positive aspects" of the International 
Institute of Intellectual Cooperation as expressed in that 





56 


year, the Conference asked for publication of a historical 
textbook on Balkan civilization, to be written in French 
and translated into each of the Balkan languages. 

1933. 4th Conference. Salonika . 

In connection with the teaching of history the Con¬ 
ference expressed a desire for the establishment of a chair 
of history of civilization of the Balkan peoples in the 
universities of each capital. It also asked the national 
groups to send each other reports on any actions taken in 
compliance with the resolutions of the earlier Congresses. 

(I.C.I.C. Recueil des accords 
intellectuels . p. 186-196; 
Chi. no. 47-48, Dec. 1934- 
Jan. 1935, p. 602-605) 

In preparation for the 5th Conference (proposed at Ankara, 
1934) the Greek representative prepared a report on Resolutions 
of Balkan Conferences on Intellectual Rapprochement, which, as 
the Conference did not take place, was not presented, but was 
published, with new resolutions for the purification of national 
history and the compilation of a unified text on Balkan civili¬ 
zation and teaching of history, in the journal of the Conference, 
Les Balkans . (Athens) vol. 6, Aug.-Sept. 1934s 390-395. 


BALTIC STATES - NATIONAL COMMITTEES OF INTELLECTUAL 
COOPERATION 

1935. 1st Congress. Kaunas (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 
Finland participating) 


1936. 

2d Congress. Tartu 

1937. 

3d Congress. Helsinki 

1938. 

4th Congress. Riga 


At each of these Conferences the reciprocal revision of 
school textbooks was discussed, and after the first meeting a 
beginning was made of exchange of manuals for study, in accord¬ 
ance with the Casares procedure recommended by the International 
Committee. An important proposal was made suggesting that each 
national committee appoint a subcommittee to select the best 
passages regarding the other countries from its own history and 
geography textbooks and have them translated into one of the 
world languages (English, French, German) so that they might be 
more easily used by the committees of the neighbor nations. The 
four subcommittees were to form an inter-Baltic committee, to 
meet at need. 










57 


The work was begun and valuable progress had been made by 
the time of the last Congress in 1938. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . 

no. 61-62, Jan.-Feb. 1936, 
p. 681; no. 97-98, Jan.-Feb. 
1939, P. 717. Brochures 
issued by the separate Con¬ 
gresses are not in a world 
language.) 


FRANCO-GERMAN COLLOQUY 

1935. Paris 

Representatives of the French and German Associations 
of Teachers of History, two Germans and seven Frenchmen, met 
at the German suggestion, for the clearly defined object of 
studying together ’’the corrections to be made in the books 
of both countries to put them in harmony with the results of 
scientific research.” It was understood that only periods 
of history involving Franco-German relations would be dis¬ 
cussed. The two groups had prepared careful reciprocal 
studies, the Frenchmen of actual German manuals, the Germans 
of a recently published German work, Robert Hain's Deutsch ¬ 
land im Lichte franzosischen Geschichtsbiicher fur den Schul - 
unterricht. ( See Studies, p. Ill) 

The result was an. important document containing 40 reso¬ 
lutions about points on which divergence of views had been 
noted. On many points agreement had been reached, though 
on some there were reservations on both sides. After long 
and detailed discussion a final resolution was taken: 1. to 
publish the resolutions as soon as possible and circulate them 
among authors, editors and teachers; 2. to use all influence 
to have the agreed-upon interpretations used in textbooks 
and teaching; 3. to exchange any useful information that 
might come up in the future. 

The nqtice of the meeting, with the final resolution, 
was published in Cooperation Intellectuelle . (no. 61-62, Jan. 

1936, p. 702-704). In the same issue is a note announcing 
that the Association of German Professors of History had been 
dissolved and replaced by a new Nationalsozialistischer Lehrer- 
bund. (The president, Dr. Paul Reimann, who had been deeply 
interested in textbooks revision since the early ’twenties, and 
who had written the German report for the Oslo Congress on the 
Teaching of History was one of the two Colloquy representatives.) 
Because of political conditions, the German representatives 

at the Paris meeting had requested that publication of the 








58 


40 Resolutions be delayed. A notation made by the Insti¬ 
tute in 1946 reports that one of them had been arrested 
on his return to Germany. 

The 40 Resolutions were eventually published in German 
and French teachers’ journals, also in Cooperation Intellec - 
tuelle and historical journals, in the spring of 1937, and 
occasioned wide comment in French and German press „ At the 
time of the meeting, the Frenchmen had understood that the 
Germans had come with official authorization. (French 
choice of texts not being government-controlled, the French 
representatives had acted in purely private capacity, as 
influential scientific historians.) However, the preamble 
of the final version of the Resolutions states that the 
German professors had acted only "with the knowledge of their 
government. 11 Prefatory notes by the two delegations were 
not included with the first publication, but were published 
separately, with a bibliography of press comment, in a spe¬ 
cial issue of Cooperation Intellectuelle . The French note 
merely stated the conditions of the colloquy. The German 
note discussed at some length the influence of textbooks, 
the value of scientific truth, the need of avoiding a double 
standard of morality, then the reasons for the long delay in 
publication, and ended with an obviously inspired paragraph, 
explaining that the teaching of history was above all "the 
spirit of sacrifice and of devotion to the Fuhrer, the State 
and the race...in a purely national-socialist spirit," but 
that it "is not entirely in contradiction with a recognition 
of the virtues of other peoples and a fair appreciation of 
their intentions." To this M. Jules Isaac, leader of the 
French delegation, author of many school textbooks, and 
Inspector General of Education, made a retort, which was 
followed by a second German note stating that this first 
exchange of views, while not official, had been encouraged 
by the State, and expressing hope that the endeavor might be 
continued. 

The notes led to further recriminations in the French 
and German press and teachers’ organs. In October, 1937, 

Dr. Reimann advised the French Commission that he no longer was 
qualified to negotiate in the name of the German professors of 
history. The final action was the publication, in Revue d’His - 
toire de la Guerre Mondiale . April, 1938, of the comments on 
German schoolbooks made by the French delegates in preparation 
for the meeting. (See Studies, p.lll) In spite of the unfor¬ 
tunate circumstances which followed the colloquy, it has been 
frequently pointed to as a constructive work of the highest 
value and a pattern for neighborly collaboration in the writing 
of history. 







59 


The points of agreement outlined in the forty reso¬ 
lutions are on specific phases of Franco-German history, e.g .! 
treatment of natural frontiers before 1789; pacific policy of 
Vergennes under Louis XVI; phases of French politics during 
the Revolution; the general peaceful spirit in government rela¬ 
tions between the two countries from 1815-1859; that the treat¬ 
ment of Alsace-Lorraine should explain both German i and French 
viewpoints; that Bismarck did not say "Might makes Right," but 
had it attributed to him by a political adversary; that he did 
however, say that great questions must be solved by blood and 
iron; that he wanted war only when necessary to break obstacles 
opposing German unity; that French and German textbooks should 
explain clearly the Locarno pact, its origins and scope, indicat¬ 
ing its bilateral character, and that the books should contain 
nothing contradicting the mutual engagement to respect terri¬ 
torial status set by that pact; (etc., etc.). 

Reservations were, e.g.: 

It was agreed that regarding Schleswig-Holstein, the popu¬ 
lation of the regions attached to Prussia was mainly German, 
not Danish. The French, however, did not know documents to 
which the Germans referred regarding Denmark's attitude about 
the plebiscite, and reserved an opinion on the matter. 

In connection with the policies of Napoleon III it was 
agreed that the German historian Haller was right in saying, 
there was no orecise or secret plan to prevent or hasten German 
unity, and that Bismarck's and Napoleon's mistrust of each 
other's projects and attitudes was a factor to be taken account 
of in considering the immediate causes of the war of 1870. But 
the German members felt the French government's measures before 
the war "less justifiable" than the Prussian, and the French 
thought the Prussian policy had constituted a threat to France. 

It was agreed that in 1914 a deliberate desire for war 
could not be attributed to any government; however the French 
considered that Germany and Austria thought time on their side, 
and that warlike spirit was stronger in Germany than in France; 
the Germans thought French and Russian policy precipitated 
German apprehensions. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 
78-79, June-July, 1937: p. 287- 
306; special number 84, Dec. 

1937, p. 568-573; no. 89-90, 

May-June, 1938, p. 282-286; 

Isaac, "Une tentative d'accord 
franco-allemand,” in Revue 
d'histoire de la guerre mondiale . 

Apr. 1938, p. 113-134; English 
text of the Resolutions is trans¬ 
lated by B. E. Schmitt, American 
historical review , v. 43, Jan. 

1938, p. 323-341 







60 


SPANISH-AMERICAN HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY CONGRESS 

1921. 2d Congress, Seville . 

A resolution was adopted approving the movement to 
promote good relations between Spain and Latin America 
by the teaching of history, and asking the governments 
of the Spanish-American nations and of Spain to include 
in educational curricula impartial accounts of Spanish 
history, of the Spanish conquest of America, the emanci¬ 
pation of the American republics, and the respective 
physical and political geography of the different coun¬ 
tries. 

The Spanish jurist and professor of history, 

Dr. Rafael Altamira, who in 1922 became a member of the 
Permanent Court of International Justice at The Hague, 
was influential at this Congress. In 1922 he spoke 
before the Spanish Academy of History on the value of 
historical Congresses and it was he who organized the 
International Conference for the Teaching of History, 

1932 (q.v.). 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book 
revision , p. 108 j Alta¬ 
mira, see Studies, p. 117) 


PAN AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS 

This assembly of representatives of governments, universi¬ 
ties and scientific societies, had been organized by the Scien¬ 
tific Society of Argentina in I 898 , and was originally confined 
to Latin America. In 1908 the United States showed interest, 
and attended the Congresses of 1908 and 1916. The third Con¬ 
gress, 1924, bad over 500 official and unofficial delegates. 

1924* 3d Pan American Scientific Congress. Lima . 

Resolution No. 105 read: 

The 3d Pan American Scientific Congress recommends 
that in all the countries of the New World assemblies 
of educators be encouraged, in order that student texts 
may be written in which will be inculcated patriotic 
sentiments based on love and good will, and that hate 
and international rivalry be excluded. Comparable 
Assemblies should be called to consult on school books 
intended for primary teaching, that translated into 
all the languages spoken in the continent should be of 
obligatory use in order to foment solidarity and harmony 






61 


among the American countries. 

(U.S. Delegates to 3d Pan 
American Scientific Congress, 
Lima . 1924-25 ♦ Report . Wash¬ 
ington , U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 
1925, p. 74) 


1st CONGRESS OF HISTORY 
1928. Montevideo . 

In 1925 certain Uruguayan scholars, notably Don Enrique 
Rogberg Balparda, instituted a press campaign regarding text¬ 
book revision. The Congress of History, attended by leading 
historians, educators and government representatives of 
Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina, was in commemoration of the 
Preliminary Convention of Peace between those three countries, 
signed in 1828. The most important resolution, "inspired to 
consolidate and never interrupt the solidarity” of relations 
between these states, was one advocating the omission from 
history textbooks of '*any word or expression that might 
injure fraternal sentiments.” A committee was appointed to 
study the question and suggest to the three governments the 
desirability of eliminating passages which might wound the 
national susceptibilities of their neighbors. 

(Pan American Union Bulletin, v. 
65, 1931 1 p. 636-7; Congreso 
Universitario Americano, 1931 
Memoria , Montevideo, 1931, t. 

p. 267-268) 


CONGRESO IBERO-AMERICANO DE HISTORIA 
1930. Seville . 

The Uruguayan representative presented the resolution 
of the Montevideo Congress to a Spanish-American group who 
approved it by acclamation. 

( Ibid , p. 272) 


AMERICAN UNIVERSITY CONGRESS 
1931. Montevideo . 

A gathering of educators and students from a number of 
Latin American countries heard the report on the resolution 
of the National History Congress and subsequent action, pre¬ 
sented by Don Enrique Rogberg Balparda of Uruguay. There 


to- 









62 


was a discussion and resolutions were adopted stating that 
the teaching of history in all grades should be "inspired 
by the ideal of international solidarity,” that teachers 
must adjust themselves to this principle, and that text¬ 
books must not contain passages written in an unfriendly 
spirit. The resolutions for procedure in revision were: 

1. the suppression of statements likely to wound the sensi¬ 
bilities of any country; 2. explanation from an objective, 
scientific point of view of facts relating to military con¬ 
flicts; 3. increased emphasis on events that contributed 
to international harmony and culture; 4° special attention 
to instilling into the minds of youth an historical sense 
that would enable them to distinguish between actuality 
and warlike propaganda. 

(Congreso Universitario Ameri¬ 
cano, 1931. Memoria . Monte¬ 
video, 1931, t.2., p. 270 ff . 

Pan American Union. Bulletin . 
June, 1931, v. 65, p. 636-7) 


PAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS 
1931. Lima 

The Congress approved a proposal for a committee of 
five American historians "with a view to writing a common 
American history for use in secondary school education, 
in collaboration with delegates of the Governments.” 
(I.I.I.C. School text-book revision , p. 154) This pro¬ 
ject, of a common textbook for Latin America, has been 
frequently discussed, and prizes have been offered, but 
no such work has ever been found to be practicable. 


CONVENTION ON THE TEACHING OF HISTORY 

1933. 7th International Conference of American States , 
Montevideo. 

This Conference was attended by delegates from 20 of 
the 21 American States. The Convention on the Teaching of 
History was signed by all the governments represented except 
the United States and Venezuela. The preamble stated that 
the governments found it "necessary to complement the polit¬ 
ical and juridical organization of peace with the moral dis¬ 
armament of peoples, by means of the revision of text books 
in use in the several countries,” and reviewed the actions 
already taken by Latin American Congresses and governments, 
notably the agreement between Brazil and the Argentine. The 








63 


Articles provided for revision of textbooks adopted in the 
respective countries of Latin America to eliminate preju¬ 
dices against other nations, for periodic review of text¬ 
books to assure recent and accurate data about other coun¬ 
tries, and for the founding of an Institute for the Teaching 
of History, to promote and coordinate such revisions and 
reviews. The United States delegation attached a Statement 
recording, its sympathy and explaining the impossibility of 
governmental action because of the lack of federal control 
over textbooks. (For full text of Convention and State¬ 
ment, see Appendix D.) 

1938. 8th International Conference of American States. Lima . 

In Chapter LXXIII the Conference agreed to reaffirm the 
Convention of 1933 and the League of Nations Declaration, 
and recommended that the governments give an important place 
in education programs to the study of peaceful relations. 

On July 1, 1947, the Convention had been ratified by: Colom¬ 
bia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and 
the Dominican Republic. (Pan American Union. List of Conventions , 
etc., July, 1947) 

(International American Conference, 
7th. Montevideo. 1933 . Seventh 
international conference of Amer ¬ 

ican states...Final act . (Monte¬ 
video, 1933) p. 169-176. Also 
in Carnegie Endowment for Inter¬ 
national Peace. Div. of Inter ¬ 
national Law . The International 
conferences of American states . 

First supplement . 1933-1940. 
Washington, 1940, p. 118-120) 


2d INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION 
1934. Santiago de Chile . 

On the subject of education and international coopera¬ 
tion the Argentine delegation proposed at the first session 
a declaration which was unanimously approved. Some para¬ 
graphs read: 

(a) In the countries of America the formation of the 
national conscience by means of education should be made 
effective in harmony with the ideals and propositions of 
inter-American cooperation. 














64 


•(d) In each country there should take place revi¬ 
sion of history books designed for teaching, to ensure a 
just estimation of men and facts, recognizing the coopera¬ 
tion which the different countries of America gave each 
other in the struggle for independence. 

(e) Similarly there should be spread,by means of 
teaching the most ample knowledge of the geography of the 
countries of America, emphasizing the economic relations 
which bind them together at the present time and particu¬ 
larly those which they will establish in the future. 

(At this Conference the suggestion was made by the Rotary 
Club of Valparaiso, that a prize be offered for the best inter- 
American history textbook. See under Chile, p. 77.) 

(Inter-American Conference on 
Education, 2d. Santiago de 
Chile. 1934 . T. 1. Memoria 
general, actas y documentos . 

Santiago, Imprenta Universi- 
taria, 1935, v. 1.) 


1st INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF PEACE 

This Conference was called following a proposal by President 
Roosevelt in a letter to the President of Argentina. It was 
attended by the 21 American Republics, with delegations headed 
by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs (U.S., Secretary of State 
Cordell Hull). 

1936. Buenos Aires. 

In the Final Act, Chapter XII dealt with the revision 
of school textbooks. At the motion of the Chilean representa¬ 
tives, the Conference, 'fconvinced of the importance and the 
necessity of guiding the judgment of future generations in 
conformity with ideals of peace and friendly collaboration 
with all peoples," resolved: 

To recommend to the American Republics, that have 
not already done so: 

1. To adhere to the Brazilian-Argentine Convention 
for the revision of history and geography textbooks, 
signed at Rio de Janeiro on October 10, 1933. 

2. To ratify the Convention on the teaching of his¬ 
tory signed at the Seventh International Conference of 
American States. 

3. To subscribe to the declaration on the revision 
of school books prepared by the International Institute 
of Intellectual Cooperation, and submitted by the General 







65 


Secretary of the League of Nations to the Governments 
of member and non-member countries, and 

4. To promote, motu proprio . the revision of the 
school books used in each country, as a voluntary con¬ 
tribution to the great work of the spiritual preparation 
of future generations in an atmosphere of international 
peace and good will. 

The principles recommended to govern the revision of 
texts were that in history teaching not only should "topics 
that promote or excite hatred toward any people" be avoided, 
but the efforts of the various countries toward independence 
should be given full recognition; geography texts should con¬ 
tain the most complete possible accounts of physical, politi¬ 
cal and social geography of each country; the Casares Plan 
should be considered and also the plan of the Commission for 
the Revision of History and Geography Textbooks of Argentina. 
( See p. 74) 

The Resolutions were approved on December 19, 1936, and 
on December 21, 1939, a Convention concerning Peaceful Ori¬ 
entation of Public Instruction was signed (by all except the 
United States, which approved but has no authority over edu¬ 
cation in the separate states). The provisions included: 

Art. 1. The High Contracting Parties agree to organ¬ 
ize, in their public educational establishments, the teach¬ 
ing of the principles of pacific settlement of international 
disputes and the renunciation of war as an instrument of 
national policy, as well as the practical applications of 
these principles. 

Art. 2. The High Contracting Parties agree to 
prepare, through their administrative authorities on pub¬ 
lic education, text-books or manuals of instruction adapted 
to all school grades, including the training of a teaching 
staff, in order to promote understanding, mutual respect, 
and the importance of international cooperation. Persons 
in charge of instruction shall teach in accordance with 
the principles expressed therein. 

On July 1, 1947 the Convention had been ratified by 
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, 

El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, 
Panama and Venezuela. 

(Carnegie Endowment for Inter¬ 
national Peace. International 
conferences of American states . 

1st supplement , p. 149-150, 

208; Pan American Union chart, 
and verbal report, Aug. 1, 

194S) 







66 


AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF NATIONAL COMMITTEES ON INTELLECTUAL 
COOPERATION 

The Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace 
in 1936 had urged the establishment of National Committees on 
Intellectual Cooperation in such of the American Republics as 
did not yet have them. By 1939, 14 countries had established 
committees: before 1936, Brazil, Cuba, United States (unoffi¬ 
cial), Mexico, Chile, Argentina; from 1936 to 1939, Bolivia, 
Dominican Republic, Haiti, El Salvador, Uruguay, Colombia, 

Ecuador, Peru. The First Conference was attended by all states 
of the Western Hemisphere except El Salvador and Honduras. Can¬ 
ada, which had long had a National Committee oil Intellectual 
Cooperation, was represented for the first time in a technical 
conference of American States. 

1939. 3^C2l^ej^ac.g 4 _Sant AflfiQ., M £ h\ le . 

Resolution No. XIII recommended publicizing the con¬ 
tests being held by the Rotary Club of Valparaiso for the 
drafting of a text of a history of the Amerioas, but agreed 
to eliminate the qualifying word, "paoifistio," as tending 
to oall for writing from a particular point of view rather 
than striotly objective. 

Resolution XLV was for the publication of an American 
sohool reader, to be used in all countries of the continent, 
familiarizing ohildren with the history, culture and life 
of the other Amerioan countries. 

Neither of these resolutions was adopted in the Final 

Aot. 

(National Committee of the 

U.S.A. on International 

Intellectual Cooperation. 
Fj^t_ Am9riqan._oonferenoe 

aOationsl_figimaitteeB on 

i ntellectual cooperation . 

Hjport._of*_~thi^elegation . 

New York, 1939, 78 p. Pro¬ 
cessed) 

19a. 2d Conference. Havana. Cuba. 

Nineteen countries were represented by delegations, all 
but El Salvador and Paraguay. The Final Act included two 
agreements on the history of Amerioa; no. XXXI, urging that 
all countries ratify the 1933 'Convention, free their history 
teaching from nationalism and prejudice, and give more recog¬ 
nition to social history of Amerioa; no. XXXII, agreeing 








67 


that the National Committees urge their governments to 
encourage the study of the history of the Americas in the 
schools, that they maintain a constant interchange of text¬ 
books on the teaching of history for the benefit of teachers, 
that a competition on a text on the elementary history of 
America be held every two years. 

(Ware, Edith E. Report to the 
National committee of the 
U.S.A. on international intel ¬ 

lectual cooperation (on the 2d 
American Conference...Havana, 
1941) New York, National Com¬ 
mittee, 1942, p. 80-81.) 


CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS AND DIRECTORS OF EDUCATION OF THE AMERICAN 
REPUBLICS 

1943. 1st Conference 

The Conference, which was attended by the Ministers of 
Education of the 21 American Republics: 

Recommended to the Pan American Union the publication 
of a "Biblioteca Escolar Panamericana" which would include 
all the books which benefit continental teaching and tend 
to make uniform the culture of America. (The Pan American 
Union Library has prepared several brief lists of textbooks 
in history and geography in use in the Latin American coun¬ 
tries, and has a card file of about 1500 entries for text¬ 
books in all fields, arranged by country). 

Offered a prize for a "truthful" textbook of American 
history, "the birth and development of the countries of this 
hemisphere to be expounded as a single historical phenomenon," 
giving major importance to the institutional evolution and 
determining factors of political, social and economic condi¬ 
tions, and designed to "replace in the mind of American youth 
rivalries and hatreds by love, cooperation and confidence 
between the peoples of the new world and to affirm the prin¬ 
ciples of democracy, justice and liberty which impelled their 
emancipation and binds them in a common destiny." The prizes 
were to be under the jurisdiction of the Pan American Union, 
$20,000 for the first, $10,000 for the second and $5,000 for 
the third. Texts were to be submitted in three years. 

( Final act , p. 194-195) 

c N0TE: The Pan American Union has in its files a col¬ 
lection of letters from Ministers of Education and 
other authorities expressing their opinions on the 








68 


contest. The consensus was that it was desir¬ 
able to have such a book, but quite impracticable, 
as almost no scholar could be found who could give 
equal weight to each country and the results would 
be so innocuous as to be dry and meaningless. 

Money was never raised for the project. 3 

Reiterated the necessity of revision of local textbooks 
of national history and urged all nations that had not as yet 
ratified the 1933 and 1936 Conventions on the Teaching of 
History to do so at once. 

Recommended the teaching of geography to give students 
of each country an ample knowledge of the physical, political 
and social geography of the other countries, and the suppres¬ 
sion of textbooks that do not fill adequately the required 
conditions for teaching American solidarity. 

( Final act , p. 215) 

Asked for an Inter-American Institute of Education. 

This led to the establishment of the Inter-American Educa¬ 
tional Foundation, incorporated by the U.S. Office of Inter- 
American Affairs, October 14, 1943. 

(Resolution 14, p. 672) 

(Conferencia Interamericana 
de Ministros y Directores 
de Educacion. 1st. Panama . 
1943 . ( Proceedings ) Panama, 
Editora nacional, 1944) 


INSTITUTE OF PACIFIC RELATIONS 

Established in 1925 as a permanent group to study the condi¬ 
tions of Pacific peoples with a view to improvement of their mutual 
relations, the Institutebas as members most nations of the Pacific 
area. Biennial conferences have been held from 1925. 

1931. 4th Conference. Shanghai . 

In the discussion of education for international under¬ 
standing, “concern was expressed over the prejudicial tone 
of the information about Pacific countries to be found in 
school textbooks.“ A Japanese study had been made of Chinese 
school textbooks, and the Japanese accused the Chines: of 
anti-foreign teaching. Japanese textbooks were criticized 
as furthering aggression in Manchuria. Hawaiian schoolbooks 
were praised for their increasing fairness to Japan. The 
Casares procedure of the International Committee on Intel¬ 
lectual Cooperation was described, the national committees 
were urged to apply it. 






69 


1933. 5th Conference, Banff 

Textbook revision was discussed, and it was commented 
s^ti-foreign teaching in textbooks was tt a pet subject with 
Japanese patriots when directed against China, but not as 
yet investigated as to the extent to which it permeates 
the Japanese school system also. 11 The Chinese representa¬ 
tives said that changes were being made, following the 
report of the Lytton Committee ( See China, p. 77) and that 
the textbooks criticized were outdated, but replacements 
were slow. The committee appointed in 1931 had not taken 
action, because the members felt the Institute of Inter¬ 
national Intellectual Cooperation report (1933) covered the 
field. 


(Institute of Pacific Relations, 
Problems of the Pacific . Report 
of 4th biennial conference, 
1931, p. 256, 490-491; 5th..., 
1933, p. 240-241) 


UNITED STATES AND CANADA 

An interesting action shared by two nations was taken by 
unofficial organizations in a joint study by the Canada-United 
States Committee of Education. The question of the respective 
attitudes of Canadian and American textbooks toward one another 
had been treated in a number of individual studies from 1919 on. 
In 1944 the American Council on Education suggested the coopera¬ 
tive project, and sponsored the Canada-United States Committee 
on Education which was set up, under the Canadian sponsorship 
of the Canadian Education Association, the Canadian Teachers’ 
Federation and the National Conference of Canadian Universities. 
The work was made possible by a grant of the Marshall Field 
Foundation in 1945, and workshops were held at Harvard Univer¬ 
sity and the University of Toronto., each a bi-national group 
studying textbooks of one country. The reports were reviewed 
by the Committee and leading historians, rewritten and again 
reviewed. The resulting Study was published in 1947. ( See 
Studies, p. 124) 




70 


Bilateral Cultural Agreements 


ARGENTINA-BRAZIL AGREEMENT FOR THE REVISION OF TEXTBOOKS FOR THE 
TEACHING OF HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY 

1933. Diplomatic Agreement for the revision of textbooks in 
geography and history, signed at Rio de Janeiro on October 10. 

This agreement preceded by tvo months the Convention on 
the Teaching of History promulgated by the 7th International 
Conference of American States at Montevideo. It was in 
accordance with the resolution of the First Congress of National 
History of 1928, and was concluded at a time when the President 
of Argentina was in Brazil. Its clauses were: 

Art. I. The two governments will proceed to revise 
textbooks for teaching of national history "purging them 
of topics which contribute to excite in the defenseless 
mind of youth aversion toward any other American nation." 

Art. II. The two governments will review periodically 
the textbooks in geography to keep them abreast of the 
latest statistics and to try to have them convey an approxi¬ 
mate notion of the wealth and productive capacity of the 
American States. 

Art. III. c Provided for prompt ratification .3 

Art. IV. Any American State that so desires may adhere 
to this agreement by announcing its intention to the Minister 
of Foreign Affairs of Brazil; to become effective with the 
approbation of Argentina and any other States that may have 
joined. 

(Text in Cooperation intellec- 
tuelle . no. 34-35, Nov. 1933, 

p. 644 - 646 ) 

Adhered to by: Uruguay-Brazil, 1933. ( Ibid .. no. 89 - 90 , May- 
June, 1938, p. 282); Mexico-Brazil, 1938 ( Ibid .. Deposited with 
League of Nations, Apr. 9, 1938, no. 4323); Argentina-Uruguay, 
1938 ( Ibid ., no. 95-96, Dec. 1938, p. 656 ) 


POLAND-YUGOSLAVIA 

1931. Agreement concerning scientific, scholastic and artistic 
relations. 





71 


The agreement provides for a technical committee with 
subcommittees on education in each country. These subcom¬ 
mittees were to: 

Art. 4 a. Organize more frequent contact between the 
representatives of primary and secondary education cf the 
two states, and introduce as far as possible the study of 
the geography and history of the other nation into the 
school curricula. 

(I.I.I.C. Recueil des accords 
intellectuals , p. 160 ) 


Note: Following the Declaration of 1935, adopted by the League 
of Nations in 1937, a number of nations signed cultural agreements 
in which they inserted clauses prepared in accordance with the 
model draft. 


SWEDEN-CZECHOSLOVAKIA 

1936. Protocol relative to intellectual relations, signed 
January 29, 1936. 

Art. 7. The governments agree to favor the revision 
of school textbooks in both countries with the end of 
ensuring exact instruction about one another. 

( Ibid ., p. I 69 ) 


RUMANIA-POLAND 

1936. Convention on intellectual cooperation, signed 
November 27, 1936. 

Art. 2. Being convinced that a good knowledge of one 
another's countries and people acquired in the course of 
education of youth, is one of the most important factors 
for the maintenance of friendly relations between the two 
nations, the two governments will watch that passages in 
school textbooks relating to each other may be written in 
a favorable light. To this end the governments will 
exchange information about the material that might be 
included in curricula of their respective schools. 

(Ibid., p. 153) 




72 


NETHERLANDS-CZECHOSLOVAKIA 

1937. Intellectual agreement, concluded May 20, 1937. 

Art. 10 stated that there would be favored revision of 
the school textbooks in use in both countries to ensure that 
teaching should be as exact and complete as possible regarding 
one another. 

(Cooperation intellectuelle, no. 

FM8, Mar.-Apr. 193$, p. 184) 


HUNGARY-ESTONIA 

1937. Cultural agreement, signed October 13, 1937. 

Art. 7. The two governments attach particular importance 
to having chapters of school textbooks about these countries 
not only conform to truth, but be conceived in a friendly 
spirit. To this end, the governments of the two countries 
will communicate to each other the facts of history, geo¬ 
graphy, ethnography of their own countries that they want 
to see taught in the schools of the other nation. 

( Ibid .. no. 91-92, July-Sept. 
1938, p. 419) 


HUNGARY-FINLAND 

1937. Convention relative to intellectual cooperation, signed 
October 22, 1937. 

Art. 7. c Repeats text of Hungary-Estonia agreement. 3 

(Ibid ., p. 421) 


FdLMD-ESTONIA 

1937. Cultural agreement signed on December 1, 193T. 

Art. 7. The two governments attach importance to 
teaching regarding the culture, life and conditions in the 
other country, to be conceived in a spirit of friendship 
and truth. They agree to exchange information about the 
history, geography and ethnography of their countries. 

(Ibid ., no. 95-96, Dec. 1938, 
p. 663) 



73 


POLAND-FINLAND 

1938. Cultural agreement, signed February, 1938. 

Art. 7. To effectuate the revision of study text¬ 
books used in both countries to make possible a more exact 
knowledge of each other. 

( ibid .. no. 87-88, Mar.-Apr. 
1938, p. 185) 


ARGENTINA-CHILE 

1938. Convention relating to the revision of teaching and of 
textbooks of national and American history and geography, 
signed June 3, 1938. 

( Ibid .. no. 91-92, July-Sept, 
1938, p. 416) 


URUGUAY-CHILE 

1943. Treaty on history and geography textbook revision 

signed on August 31, 1943. 

Art. 1. Provides for the revision of history textbooks. 

Art. 2. Provides for the revision of geography text¬ 
books. 

Art. 3. Places the Comisiones Nacionales de Coopera- 
ci<5n Intelectual or other competent official organizations 
appointed by the governments in charge of the revision. 

The treaty was approved in Uruguay on November 17, 1943. 

( Diario oficial . Uruguay, 3 Feb. 
1944) 



74 


C. National 


1. Countries other than the United States 


Note : The following review is to be considered as supplementing 
the International Institute survey of 1933, School Text-Book 
Revision : in general, countries are here included only if addi¬ 
tional information has become available or where developments 
have occurred independent of international or regional activ¬ 
ities. 


ARGENTINA 

1929. Third Congress of History. Buenos Aires . 

To this meeting of a group organized by the Argentine 
Academy of History, the Resolution of the Montevideo Con¬ 
gress of National History was submitted. The Congress 
approved it as a measure "which will make of history, rightly 
applied, the most practical and decisive means of consoli¬ 
dating and never interrupting the solidarity between the coun¬ 
tries of America." 

(Congreso Universitario Americano, 
1931. Memoria . Montevideo, 1931, 
t. 2, p. 271) 

Argentina took part in subsequent Pan American conferences, 
and in 1933 signed the pioneer bilateral agreement for mutual 
revision of textbooks in history and geography with Brazil. In 
1938 3he concluded a similar Convention with Chile. ( See p. 70) 


Following the Brazil-Argentina agreement a Committee was 
set up to direct the revision of textbooks. It published instruc¬ 
tions, which were approved by decree in 1935, establishing cri¬ 
teria for objectivity and friendliness in the writing of school 
texts. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 
97-98, Jan.-Feb. 1939, p. 754- 
755) 


AUSTRALIA 

The inquiry of the International Institute in 1931 elicited 
the reply from the Australian Minister of Education that particular 
care was taken in Australian schools to prevent the use of any 








75 


books containing passages "prejudicial to mutual understanding 
between nations and international friendship," 

In 1935 the Victorian Teachers’ Union held a meeting at 
Melbourne on the question of "schools and international peace," 
at which the revision of textbooks was discussed. It was 
reported by the International Institute in 1936 that instruc¬ 
tion in peace and in the League of Nations formed a regular 
part of school programs in Australia. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . 

no. 61-62, Jan.-Feb. 1936, 
p. 705) 


AUSTRIA 

In 1919 the Minister of Education gave instructions as to 
the use of old texts and the preparation of new books in which 
militaristic teaching should be eliminated. Drastic revisions 
were made in accordance with this principle, and real improve¬ 
ment achieved. By the late ’twenties, however, the national¬ 
istic viewpoint was again asserting itself, and history was 
made an instrument for awakening love of the homeland. 

(Stoker, Spencer. The schools 
and international under ¬ 
standing , 1933, p. 174-175) 


BELGIUM 

In 1926 the Belgian Minister of Education issued a circu¬ 
lar to the schools condemning works which preached hatred 
between races and nations and recommending "books which, by an 
objective study of facts and ideas, teach both the obligation 
of patriotism and the duties of international morality." In 
the same year the Belgian Teaching League and the Federation 
of Belgian Teachers voted for the elimination of books preach¬ 
ing hatred. Before 1932 the Belgian League of Nations Union in 
exchanges with the German Society for the League of Nations, 
following the spirit of the Casares Resolution—one of the few 
instances of its application—achieved the revision of two his¬ 
tory textbooks, one in Bavaria, one in Belgium. 

In 1932 the Belgian National Committee of Historical 
Sciences, in its report to the First International Conference. 
on the Teaching of History, objected to the campaigns for revi¬ 
sion of textbooks, preferring that the League of Nations, 





76 


through a central office, issue annual critical analyses of 
new books. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book 
revision , p. 4&, 117-11S) 


BRAZIL 

Brazil historians took part in the Latin American histori¬ 
cal congresses from 1928 on, and evinced much interest in the 
reform of textbooks and the preparation of an all-American his¬ 
tory. In 1931 the Brazilian Minister of Education announced 
in reply to the International Institute inquiry that works for 
primary schools were submitted for approval to Revision Com¬ 
mittees of the State Administrations of Education, who watched 
for passages that might cause international ill will. In 1933 
Brazil and Argentina signed the pioneer bilateral agreement 
for the revision of histories and geographies; and Brazil rat¬ 
ified the Convention for the Teaching of History, 1933 and the 
Convention for the Peaceful Orientation of History, 1936. ( See 
under Regional, p. 62-65) 

In 1936 the Commission provided for in the agreement with 
Argentina met and approved principles for teaching history in 
a spirit of cordiality and for obtaining the latest statistics 
of wealth and resources of foreign nations for geography text¬ 
books . 

( Cooperation intellectuell e, 

no. 66-67, June-July, 1936: 

p. 64 - 65 ) 

In 1938 the Brazilian Institute of Geography and History, 
at its centennial meeting, proposed two prizes for the best 
works on history and geography of the Americas. There is no 
record of the prizes having been awarded. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , 

no. 89-90, May-June, 1938: 

p. 286-288) 

In 1939 the Federal Department of Education set forth the 
fundamental rules for the teaching of history, which place 
love for Brazil as the basic principle, but order study of 
and respect for the other countries of America in r, a spirit 
of human brotherhood based on patriotism and Americanism. w 

(Paul de Almeida Costa. "Pan- 

americanismo nas escolas,” 

Rivista do ensino (Rio de 
Janeiro) v. 13, 1939, nos. 
158-163 







77 


CHILE 

Chile took part in the Pan American conferences, ratify¬ 
ing the Convention for the Peaceful Orientation of Public 
Instruction of 1936 Q In 1934, in connection with the 2d Inter- 
American Conference of Education held in Santiago, Sr, Gast6n 
Ossa of the Rotary Club of Valparaiso suggested a prize for the 
best inter-American history textbook. In 1939 the Club 
announced a definite contest, with three prizes, $2,000, $1000 
and $500 for the best history of the American nations, to be 
written in line with the principles of the Casares Resolution 
and the Declaration of the League of Nations , The works were 
to be submitted by June, 1940 o There is no record of the 
prizes ever having been awarded, 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . 

no, 97-98, Jan.-Feb. 1939, 

Po 756-758) 

In 1938 Chile concluded with Argentina a Convention rela¬ 
tive to the revision of teaching and textbooks in national and 
American history and geography. In 1943 Chile concluded a 
treaty on history and geography textbook revision with Uruguay. 
(See p „ 73) 


CHINA 

The militaristic and nationalistic spirit of the state- 
controlled and frequently revised Chinese textbooks was slightly 
tempered after 1919 by the influence of postwar idealism and 
visiting Western scholars. In an analysis of books used in 
Chinese schools from 1905 to 1929 by C„ H c Peake ( See Studies, 
p« 131) a number are cited as introducing teaching on the rest 
of the world and showing a spirit of cooperation between nations. 
These, however, were exceptions, adopted without the sanction 
of the Ministry of Education by a group of liberal teachers. In 
1927 the Kuomintang ordered a complete revision of textbooks to 
accord with the " San Min Chu I education,’* teaching the most 
advanced form of modern nationalism and designed to cultivate 
anti-foreign feeling, 

In 1931 the Press Association of Tokyo published a handbook 
called Anti-foreign Teaching in New Textbooks of China , giving 
extracts in both the original and English translation. In 1932 
the Chinese government, influenced by the Lytton Report of the 
Manchurian incident, in which Chinese authors of schoolbooks 
were accused of having "sought to kindle patriotism with the 
flame of hatred," issued a "Memorandum on the so-called Anti- 
foreign Teaching in Ghinese Schoolbooks," and expressed their 






78 


willingness to make revisions. Beginning in 1933, the textbooks 
of North China were again revised, this time to fit Japanese 
demands. According to the China Weekly Review (Apr. 18, 1936, 
p. 231) "the change of textbooks was one of the very causes which 
at last started the student ’patriotic movement' in Peiping, 
which at once spread, like wildfire, to other parts of China. In 
their '5 demands' presented by the students to the Government, one 
of them concerned school textbooks." 

(T.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 46-47) 


COLOMBIA 

In 1931 the National Congress of Colombian Historians, meet¬ 
ing in Bogota, considered the resolution of the Montevideo Con¬ 
gress ( See Regional, p. 6l) and passed a resolution to ask the 
Minister of National Education not to adopt for use in the schools 
and colleges any history texts which contain "phrases or concepts 
injurious to other nations of America," to call the attention of 
teachers to such passages in schoolbooks then in use, ordering 
them to correct them in their teaching, and to oblige authors to 
revise future editions. 

(Congreso Universitario Ameri¬ 
cano, Memoria . Montevideo, 

1931, t. 2. p. 274) 

Colombia ratified the Convention on the Teaching of History 
of the Pan American States, 1933, and the Convention on the 
Peaceful Orientation of Public Instruction, 1936. ( See Regional, 
p. 62-65) 


CZECHOSLOVAKIA 

In 1928 the Czechoslovak Ministry of Public Education pub¬ 
lished a decree demanding up-to-date and truthful textbooks, and 
declaring it "desirable that the school textbook should make a 
stand in favor of national and religious toleration, be inspired 
by a spirit of peace," and teach solidarity between nations,, 

(i.IoI.Co School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p„ 47-48) 

In 1933 the Czechoslovak Joint Peace Committee, organized 
before the Disarmament Conference under the patronage of the "Asso¬ 
ciation pedagogique Comenius," with the collaboration of all paci¬ 
fist, educational and ethical associations of Czechoslovakia, 
began the revision of school textbooks on a wide scale, including 
texts in Czech, German and Magyar. The principles of revision 






79 


were the elimination of passages injurious to other peoples, and 
the notation of desirable presentations of history and facts 
regarding other nations. Forms were supplied to be filled out 
and returned to the central Committee for re-examination. In 
1934 the Committee reported that this had been done, and that 
high standards of scientific truth, international goodwill and 
impartiality were being insisted on. The Klub Historicky was 
undertaking an inquiry into the texts of neighboring countries, 
on which they would act in accordance with the amended Casares 
procedure. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , 

no. 42, Aug.-Sept. 1934, p. 
303-305) 

In 1936 the Czech government signed a bilateral agreement 
for revision of textbooks with Sweden, and in 1937 with the 
Netherlands. 

(I.I.I.C. Recueil des accords 
intellectuels . p. 169; 
Cooperation intellectuelle , 

no. 87-88, Mar.-Apr. 1938, 
p. 184) 


DENMARK 

The Danish Government and several associations of Danish 
teachers and historians cooperated in the work of the f ’ Norden” 
Association. The Minister of Public Instruction appointed a 
committee for the revision of school textbooks, which in 1933 
issued a report ( See Studies, p.114). The committee expressed 
general approval of the history and geography textbooks in use 
in the secondary schools, but asked for a radical revision in 
elementary histories to cut down the space devoted to war and 
ancient history. 


DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

In 1935 the Minister of Education of Santo Domingo, at the 
instance of the Mexican government, issued a circular inspired by 
the Convention on the Teaching of History of 1933, banning a text¬ 
book in history by two North American historians (J. H. Robinson 
and James Breasted) which were considered inexact as to facts 
regarding Mexico. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . 

no. 64 - 65 , Apr.-May, 1936, 
p. 49 ) 







80 


ESTONIA 

Estonia took part in the Baltic Congresses of the National 
Committees of Intellectual Cooperation cq.v.□ and in 1937 signed 
bilateral agreements providing for textbook revision with Hungary 
and Finland. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , 

no. 91-92, July-Sept. 1933, 

p. 4.23; no. 95-96, Dec. 
1933, p. 663) 


FINLAND 

Finland took part in the regional activities of the r, Norden" 
Associations and of the Baltic Congresses. The Finnish Ministry 
of Public Instruction acted in full cooperation with the active 
National Committee on Intellectual Cooperation, and in 1937 and 
1938 Finland signed bilateral agreements for textbook revision 
with Hungary, Poland and Estonia. 


FRANCE 

Nowhere during the between-war years was there more genuine 
enthusiasm shown for the pacific and internationalist spirit in 
teaching or more definite progress achieved in textbook revision 
than in France. The peace-minded associations of teachers and 
historians had, moreover, throughout their struggle for the 
improvement of their own textbooks, to combat reactionary public 
opinion expressed by nationalist organizations and press. As 
the choice of textbooks in the public schools was made—subject 
to official approval—by committees of the teachers themselves, 
the educational organizations succeeded in exerting a powerful 
and beneficial influence. 

In 1919 the elementary school teachers of France, at the 
Congress in Tours of the Syndicat National des Institutrices et 
Instituteurs Publics de France et des Colonies, after listening 
to the impassioned speech of Anatole France, passed a resolution 
against the teaching of hate. 

In 1920 the French League of Nations Union called for an 
international bureau of intellectual relations in education. 
Subsequently they worked in full cooperation with the I.C.I.C., 
making contacts during the 'twenties with the German League of 
Nations Union. 



81 


In 1924 the French Teaching League -urged that the I.C.I.C. 
establish an international committee for the examination of 
textbooks, with which nations should deposit copies of all 
works published. In the same year the Fdddration Unitaire de 
l’Enseignement, the left-wing branch which had split from the 
Syndicat National, published in its journal, L’Emancipation . 
a report against the teaching of hate. 

In 1925 and 1929 the French League for the Rights of Man 
at their Congresses supported the textbook revision movement. 

Following the I.C.I.C. Casares Resolution of 1925, the 
French Committee on Intellectual Cooperation set up a subcom¬ 
mittee for the teaching of peace, which in several cases made 
use of the Casares procedure. In the late ’twenties the Com¬ 
mittee secured the revision of a French geography, complained 
about by Spain, and acted on a Hungarian complaint about another 
geography. In 1935 and 1936 the Italian Committee c q.v. 3 sent 
its criticisms of French textbooks to the committee, which sub¬ 
mitted them to the publishers and authors, securing compliance. 

The largest teachers’ association, the Syndicat National, 
with its nearly 80,000 members, in 1925 took up the issue of 
Franco-German rapprochement. ( See also International Federa¬ 
tion of Teachers’ Associations, which the leaders of the Syn¬ 
dicat were active in forming.) The education committee asked 
M. Georges Lapierre to make a report on school textbooks ”con- 
taminated by the war spirit,” and in 1926 he delivered the 
report on school textbooks to a Congress of the Syndicat in 
Strassburg, citing 26 school histories and readers which should 
be removed. His report, offering a program of action, was 
adopted, and by 1928 at the Congress at Rennes he was able to 
claim substantial progress in the discard and revision of the 
belligerent textbooks. In 1929 M. Lapierre’s report, ’’The 
School in the Service of the Reconciliation of the Peoples,” 

( See Studies, p. 122) led to a resolution for pacifistic tend¬ 
encies in history teaching. In 1933 the Syndicat decided to 
take up again the campaign against warlike textbooks, with 
complete suppression of the boycotted books, expurgation of 
any passages in other works that had been pointed out as tend¬ 
entious, and publication of a list of ’’black” works. The jour¬ 
nal of the society, the weekly L’Ecole liberatrice , carried a 
regular section on warlike textbooks. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book 
revision , p. 119-123; 
Cooperation intellectuelle , 
no. 37, Jan.-Feb. 1934, p. 

a) 











82 


In 1935 the French National Committee of International 
Cooperation, discussing school books, issued a statement 
regarding the campaign of the Syndicat National from 1926- 
1928, declaring that it had been in full conformity with the 
spirit of the League of Nations, and that in subsequent Con¬ 
gresses and actions the association had made a continued and 
persevering effort for moral disarmament, and recommending 
to the approval of public opinion the attachment of the Syn¬ 
dicat to the double task of national education and the rap¬ 
prochement of peoples. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , 

no. 51-52, Mar.-Apr. 1935, 
p. 207) 

In 1926 the 11th French National Peace Congress passed a 
resolution urging teachers to choose pacifistic textbooks. 

In 1931 the Republican and Socialist University League 
(Franco-German) urged teachers ’’to refuse to use textbooks in 
which war, on the plea of national glory, is not considered as 
a crime.” 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book . 
revision , p. 119-126) 

In 1932 an interdepartmental committee was .set up under 
the Ministry of Education to study schoolbooks and educational 
broadcasting in the field of international relations. It 
included the directors of elementary, secondary and higher 
education, representatives of the Association des Professeurs 
de I'Enseignement Secondaire, the Syndicat National and the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

(Ibid., P. 48-49) 

In the same year the Association of Peace through Law 
(La Paix par le Droit) meeting at Paris, discussed moral dis¬ 
armament and passed a resolution calling for the elimination 
of "all partial judgments, all tendencies toward a double 
standard of morality, all incitements to hatred and a.11 contempt 
for the rights of so-called inferior races' 1 from school text¬ 
books, and for the preparation of new teaching materials oriented 
toward international solidarity. To that end they urged the 
establishment of mixed committees of historians and teachers, who 
should examine textbooks, and agreements among governments in 
accord with the amended Casares Resolution. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 
24, Dec. 1932, p. 1389) 







83 


In 1934 the Inspector of French Education, M. Jules Isaac, 
spoke at the 2d International Conference for the Teaching of 
History at Basle about French policy. He quoted the "noble 
official formulas” of the Ministerial instructions for the 
teaching in 1925, "we must neither forget the man in the cit¬ 
izen nor narrow the place of humanity for the apparent profit 
of our country. ..It is part of our profession as Frenchmen to 
love and serve humanity. The knowledge of general history 
is indispensable to us.” At the same time Prof. Isaac admitted 
that, because "pedagogic necessities impose on us simplification 
and selection,” it was impossible to get into the curriculum 
adequate treatment of countries "out of the main current of west¬ 
ern civilization,” also that particularly in treatment of recent 
events, "it is impossible to escape completely from the national 
point of view," though authors were making a notable effort in 
this respect. 

( Ibid , no. 51-52, Mar.-Apr., 
1935, p. 158-162) 

In 1935 it was commented at the meeting of the French 
National Committee on Intellectual Cooperation that the German 
press was continuing attacks on French textbooks which had been 
long out of use or revised, and on materials that had never been 
used in the schools. Eight specific books were mentioned, all 
ones that had been successfully boycotted in the campaign of 
1926-1928. In the same year the French Ministry of Education 
issued a circular banning a geography text to which the Turkish 
Ambassador had made objections. ( Ibid , no. 51-52, Mar.-Apr., 

1935, p. 170-171, 206) In November, 1935, the Franco-German 
colloquy took place ^.v..,. In 1936 the French National Committee 
on Intellectual Cooperation presented a memorandum to the Insti¬ 
tute criticizing the spirit of new German textbooks. 

(Ibid, no. 61-62, Jan.-Feb 0 

' 1936, p. 701) 


GERMANY 

In the Constitution of the Weimar Republic, 1919, Article 
I 48 read: 


All schools must aim at moral development, a sense 
of citizenship, and personal and professional efficiency 
in the spirit of the German people and the reconciliation 
of nations. 

This policy was generally reflected during.the years of the 
Republic by peace organizations, teachers and historians, as well 


1 



84 


as by action of the educational authorities of the separate 
States, which controlled the selection of textbooks in the 
schools. A strong movement was under way in Germany during 
this period for scientific standards in teaching. Nationalism, 
however, was always the cornerstone, and many of the efforts 
for "reconciliation of peoples" made by the German educational 
leaders were aimed at the textbooks of other nations rather than 
at their own. 

In 1919 the Association of Radical School Reformers and the 
Congress of German Pacifists agitated the question of revising 
teaching material to eliminate international hatred and a war¬ 
like spirit. Dr. Erich Witte, a member of the Association, pub¬ 
lished in 1921 a book on Teaching in the Spirit of the Recon ¬ 
ciliation of the Peoples (Berlin, 1921). In 1921 the Congress 
of Pacifist Teachers and Educators, Berlin, adopted similar 
resolutions. In 1924 the Association of Radical School Reform¬ 
ers was asked by the General Federation of Peace Associations 
to set up a committee on international educational matters. 

In 1927 a member of the Association, Mr. Kawerau, published 
a memorandum on history textbooks which had been originally 
planned in connection with the Carnegie inquiry. (The Germans 
complained that the Carnegie inquiry was"slanted" toward 
France.) 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book 
revisio n, p. 126-131) 

In 1927 a report on school textbooks and their reform, 
in line with the Berne resolutions, was made to the General 
Association of German Teachers (154>000 members), who proposed 
to use their influence to bring about the adoption of books of 
less objectionable nationalistic import as the present supply 
of chauvinistic texts became exhausted. The question was dis¬ 
cussed again at an annual meeting of the Association in Dresden 
in 1929* In 1929, also, the Baden Teachers' Association advo¬ 
cated teaching in the spirit of reconciliation of the peoples 
and the rejection of belligerent textbooks. (Fed. Internat. des 
Associations d'Institeurs, Bulletin , no. 1, July 1927, p. 10: 
no. 8, 1929, p. 7) 

Work for revision of textbooks was done by the German 
Association of History Teachers, under the presidency of Prof. 
Arnold Reimann. In 1926 the Association endorsed the Berne 
Resolutions passed in 1925 by the Executive Committee of the 
World Alliance for Promoting International Friendship through 
the dhurches and the Universal Christian Conference on Life 
and Work, of which committee Professor Reimann had been a mem¬ 
ber. The Berne Resolutions called for consideration of the best 







85 


means of eliminating nationalistic propaganda, false statements 
and hatred from textbooks and encouragement of a sympathetic 
study of the history of other nations. In 1928 Professor Hermann 
Pinnow, who had been rapporteur of the 1926 meeting, published 
under the auspices of the Association a study of the treatment 
of Germany in foreign post-war textbooks ( See Studies, p. 114). 
Professor Reimann in the same year prepared the report on 
Nationalism in German History Textbooks which was published as 
a separate supplement to the (suppressed) 1928 Oslo Report on 
Nationalism in History Text-books. ( See International, p. 116) 

In 1935 Professor Reimann represented Germany in the Franco-Ger¬ 
man Colloquy. (See Regional, p. 57) 

A few definite revisions of textbooks were brought about by 
the German bodies. The League of Nations Union, which was in 
touch with the Belgian and French branches, in one case before 
1933 procured the revision of a history textbook criticized by 
Belgium. The Franco-German Society, through its magazine, the 
Deutsch-franzoslsche Rundschau , succeeded in 1931 in persuading 
Prof. Jean Guiraud of Besanpon, the author of a history of 
France in use in Catholic schools, to promise revision in a new 
edition of a chapter on German war crimes which had been inserted 
in an edition of 1928. In 1932 the German Committee on Intellec¬ 
tual Cooperation planned to support the Casares Resolution. The 
German. Society for the League of Nations sent to the international 
Union a proposal, to be discussed at the 19th Assembly, Brussels, 
1935, for international examination of textbooks ”on the basis of 
the principle of reciprocity,’ 1 criticisms to be submitted to a 
body of educational authorities named by the governments. The 
International Committee prepared a resolution, asking that text¬ 
books be exchanged by neighboring countries for examination, and 
copies deposited at the League of Nations Library or elsewhere in 
Geneva, to be studied by competent authorities. As, however, the 
German representatives did not attend the 1935 Assembly, the reso¬ 
lution was cut to the last clause, asking that national associa¬ 
tions send textbooks to Geneva, where they would be available for 
consultation. 

( Coop6ration intellectuelle , 

no. 24, Dec. 1932, p. 1387; 

no. 51-52, Mar,-Apr. 1935, 
p, 165-166| no. 61-62, Jan.- 
Feb. 1936, p. 703) 

Certain of the State administrations of education made ges¬ 
tures under the Weimar Republic toward revision. Baden reported 
before 1931 to the Institute of Intellectual Cooperation that she 
was complying with the new Constitution. In 1925 Bavaria issued, 
instructions for elementary textbooks ’’free of everything which is 
contrary to the spirit of toleration.” The Bavarian Minister of 





86 


Education promised revision, in a new 1932 edition, of a passage 
in a textbook to which the Belgian League of Nations Union had 
taken exception. 

In 1921 Brunswick issued a decree that children's texts 
must "enlarge the concept of one's own country to that of human¬ 
ity," and that school readers inciting to hatred were to be banned. 
In 1930, however, a new history textbook along international lines, 
Geschichtsbilder , which had been introduced by decree in the pre¬ 
vious year, was banned, and the earlier decree canceled, with the 
statement: 


"...a realization of German being and action through 
a knowledge of history must develop the will to national 
self-assertion of the nation...Without a persistent culti¬ 
vation of the spirit of the German people the efforts to 
be made in the spirit of international reconciliation 
required by Art. 148, par. 1 of the Constitution of the 
Reich are not admissible." 

In 1919 Prussia decreed that school textbooks formerly in 
use were to be employed no more, and in 1923 laid down principles 
for readers, in which "humanity" was included with "the German 
people" as the spirit in which the young should be indoctrinated. 

A committee for examination of school textbooks was set up by 
Prussia in 1928, and in 1929 the Minister of Education ordered 
again that textbooks from the time of the war should be excluded 
from the schools. The last effort at international goodwill in 
teaching came in 1933, when the Prussian Government banned a 
book by Ewald Banse, Wehrwissenschaft . which had been criticized 
in the foreign press as bellicose. His Volk und Raum in Weltkrieg 
had been banned earlier. (These two were not schoolbooks, but 
designed for teachers.) 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book 
revi sio n , p, 49-52; 
Cooperat i on intellectuelle , 
no. 34-35, Nov. 1933, p. 

647) 

In 1933, under the Third Reich, the use of the old books 
until 1934 was permitted by a new decree. From 1934 to 1938, the 
rubrique of Cooperation Intellectuelle reports at almost each 
appearance on new German regulations for inspection and control 
of textbooks. In 1934 the Prussian Ministry of Education ordered 
the insertion of supplementary notes about the new regime, and in 
Oldenburg the educational authorities told teachers to include in 
their history hours accounts of the events of 1933 and the speeches 
of the Fuhrer. In Prussia two more history textbooks were sup¬ 
pressed, but one was revised with insets about the new Reich and a 











87 


new compulsory textbook of German history by Alfred Rosenberg 
("unattackable, clear, objective") was announced. In 1937 
the Reich issued orders for continued use of the old books 
through the year, and for books in school libraries to be 
selected in accord with the Nazi ideals. 

In 1938 Nazi-controlled Austria issued a circular order¬ 
ing that teachers in her schools, where new texts could not be 
afforded, should "form the national socialist man," and Danzig 
announced that new texts must conform to German standards. Sim¬ 
ilar pressure was being exerted on Poland c q.v 03 . 


GREAT BRITAIN 

The idea of revision of textbooks aroused little enthusiasm 
in Great Britain, although the Workers 8 Educational Association 
in 1920 had been one of the national groups to submit to the 
First Assembly of the League of Nations an appeal for an inter¬ 
national body to supervise revision. The issue was discussed 
in England by the Moral Education League, the Historical Asso¬ 
ciation, the Geographical Association, and the British League 
of Nations Union. The general conclusion reached was to recom¬ 
mend good books rather than condemning bad ones. At the request 
of the League of Nations Union and the Teachers 8 Associations of 
Great Britain, the Historical Association prepared in 1924 a 
"Short List of Books on World History," and the League of Nations 
Union published annual lists of books for teachers. 

During the 8 twenties the chief groups of teachers 8 associa¬ 
tions, the Historical Association, and the Board of Education 
issued a number of significant statements as to the aims of his¬ 
tory teaching, all of which called for training in good citizen¬ 
ship and a scientific and objective presentation of history. In 
a memorandum on "The Schools of Bri.tain and the Peace of the 
World' 8 (I 927 ), nine leading teachers 8 organizations joined with 
the League of Nations Union in calling for teaching that would 
create a "sense of world citizenship. 88 

(Shropshire, 0. E s The teach ¬ 
ing of history in English 
schools . New York, Teachers 
College, 1936, p. 67-72) 

A study of nationalism and internationalism in English, 
French and German textbooks was made by Jonathan F. Scott in 
1926, in which the author found English writings less biased than 
those of other nations but not without nationalistic tendencies. 
( See Studies, p. 115) 




88 


In 1932, under the auspices of the National Committee on 
Intellectual Cooperation, and the National Committee of Histor¬ 
ical Sciences, a committee was founded for the revision of text¬ 
books, in accordance with the 1932 Casares Resolution,, In the 
same year the Incorporated Association of Assistant Masters in 
Secondary Schools replied to a questionnaire issued in prepara¬ 
tion for the International Conference on the Teaching of History 
that English teachers would probably prefer to choose their own 
books—for which they had full authority—rather than to have 
new texts passed on by boards or committees 0 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book 

revision , p. 132-134) 

In 1935 the Labour Party inserted in its Annual Report a 
passage regarding the revision of school textbooks, insisting 
on impartiality and objecting to emphasis laid on conflicts 
between national groups rather than on social and economic his¬ 
tory. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , 

no, 64-65, Apr„-May, 1936, 

Po 47-48) 

In 1936 the Royal Institute of International Affairs' heard 
at a meeting the report of an inquiry prepared by the Study Group 
Department at Chatham House. The inquiry, into the contents of 
primary school history textbooks of 34 countries, was designed to 
discover and tabulate facts about attitudes regarding international 
relations. Over 200 textbooks had been examined, and each was the 
subject of a separate report, descriptive and analytical rather 
than critical, some running to over forty pages. The original 
idea had been the publication of a book, but that was abandoned, 
due to the Vastness of the material. The chairman, Mr 0 Alec 
Waugh, in his address stressed the point that "everywhere one 
found what one would expect to find"—nationalism, condoning of 
one's country's policies, etc. In the stimulating discussion that 
ensued, the comment was made that "It was a temptation to think 
that the books in Great Britain were perfectly fair, though the 
matter needed investigation: our teachers were exceptionally free 
in what they taught, and for that reason were probably more objec¬ 
tive than in certain other countries," also that "the revision of 
textbooks was a matter primarily for the historians of each coun¬ 
try. All that could be hoped for was a process of slow mutual 
adjustment." 


( International affairs - (London), 
v. 15, Nov. 1936, p. 877-896) 








In the same year a note in the Journal of the Incorporated 
Association of Assistant Masters of Secondary Schools (v. 30, 
p. 322), announced that recently German school books, published 
by a firm well known in England, had appeared with the notation 
that they were approved by the Bureau of Censors in Munich, 

The masters, while emphasizing that they took no political posi¬ 
tron, expressed their refusal to use in English schools books 
of a particular political "color". The Historical Association, 
representing about 5,000 British history teachers, in 1936 
adopted a resolution of the International Committee of Histor¬ 
ical Sciences for teaching history through an impartial inter¬ 
pretation of the facts. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . 

no. 64-65. Apr.-May, 1936, 

P. 45, 48) 


GREECE 

Greece was a leader in the Balkan Conferences n 0 v, D . In 
1939 it was reported to the International Institute by the 
Ministry of National Education that committees had been appointed 
to judge school books in the spirit of the League of Nations 
Declaration. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , 

no. 97-98, Jan.-Feb. 1939, 

p. 761) 


HUNGARY 

In 1928 the Hungarian Educational Society appointed a com¬ 
mittee to examine foreign textbooks from the Hungarian point of 
view. It also authorized and approved the report on "National¬ 
ism in History Text-Books" submitted by Mr. Edmond Sze'lenyi for 
the World Alliance Report to the Oslo Congress of Historical 
Sciences, 1928. 

In 1932 the Hungarian National Committee on Intellectual 
Cooperation set up a sub-committee for the revision of textbooks, 
which went at once to work. In 1933 it submitted to the Insti¬ 
tute, in accordance with the Casares procedure, an objection to 
a four-page passage on Hungary in a Spanish geography book pub¬ 
lished in Buenos Aires. The Argentine publishers accepted the 
criticism, promised revision, and suppressed the passage in 
existing texts, replacing it with corrected insets. 

(Cooperation intellectuelle, 
no! ’ 34-35, Nov. 1933, p."647) 






90 


In 1937 Hungary signed bilateral agreements for textbook 
revision with Estonia and Finland. Agreements for intellectual 
exchange signed with Poland (1934), Italy (1935), Austria (1935) 
and Germany (1936) specified exchange of scientific works and 
translations, but did not refer to elementary school textbooks. 

(I.I.I.C. Recueil des accords 
intellectuels . pp. 23, 59, 
144, 151; Cooperation intel - 
lectuelle, no. 91-92, July- 
Sept. 1938, p. 423) 


ITALY 

In 1932, after the publication of the Final Text of the 
Casares Resolution, the Italian National Committee on Intellectual 
Cooperation appointed a subcommittee on textbooks, including its 
own representative and representatives of the. Ministry of National 
Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Institute of Ital¬ 
ian History and the Geographical Society. The committee undertook 
an extensive survey of foreign textbooks. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 135) 

No record has been found of Italian action regarding their 
own textbooks, which were declared by an Italian Fascist represent¬ 
ative at the Basle, 1934 Conference for the Teaching of History to 
err on the side of over-emphasis on world history and to be free 
of the spirit of imperialism. ( See p. 35) 

In 1935 the Italian National Committee received and passed 
on to Italian publishers and authors the observations of the Polish 
and Dutch National Committees on Italian textbooks. In the same 
year and in 1936 the Committee sent to the National Societies and 
the International Institute memoranda criticizing 80 French books, 
25 Dutch and 14 Spanish books. Their criticisms were passed on, 
and the French publishers studied the emendations, only one refus¬ 
ing to correct a statement (a passage on Caesar's hostile attitude 
to Vercingetorix). One publisher adopted the Italian suggestion 
in a new edition. A French text that had missed examination was 
sent voluntarily to the Italian committee. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , 

no. 61-62, Jan.-Feb. 1936, 
p. 701; no. 64-65, Apr.-May, 
1936, p. 43-44) 

In 1936 and 1937 the Italian Committee continued its work, 
reviewing and submitting reports on Swiss, Russian, Brazilian 









91 


and Chilean textbooks, all of which were forwarded in accordance 
with the Casares procedure. ( Ibid ) 

In 1938 Italy dropped even lip-service to collaboration in 
internationalism. In October of that year the Italian. Ministry 
of Public Instruction suppressed by decree all schoolbooks 
written in whole or part by Jewish authors—some 11 texts being 
banned. In November 1938, Germany and Italy signed a cultural 
agreement providing to have approved textbooks responding to the 
spirit of the Italo-Gerraan entente, and promising that they would 
prevent the translation or circulation of works by political 
^migrds of the other country. 

( Ibid , no. 97-98, Jan.-Feb. 

1939, p. 761) 


JAPAN 


In 1920 a proposal for a permanent Bureau of International 
Education, with a committee for the critical examination of text¬ 
books, was presented to the First Assembly of the League of Nations 
by seven Japanese organizations: the League of Nations Association 
of Japan, the Japan Peace Society, the National Education Society, 
the Women’s Japanese Peace Society, the Federation of Educational 
Societies in Japan, the Japanese Association of Teachers, the 
Society of Culture Movement. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 135-136) 

In 1931, at the time of the Manchurian incident, the Press 
Association of Tokyo published a handbook on Anti-foreign Teach ¬ 
ing in New Textbooks of Chin a. ( See Studies, p. 115). The Japan¬ 
ese National Committee on Intellectual Cooperation sent a com¬ 
plaint regarding the Chinese textbooks to the International Insti¬ 
tute in 1932, in accordance with the amended Casares procedure. 

(Report of Director of Inter¬ 
national Institute, in Educa ¬ 
tional survey (Geneva) Dec. 

1933, p. 213; See Studies, p. 
113) 

In September 1945, the Supreme Commander for the Allied 
Powers established a Civil Information and Education Section 
working through the Ministry of Education to make sweeping reforms 
in Japanese education, eliminating the feudalistic, militaristic 
and ultra-nationalistic teaching. The work of this section is 
described in a publication of SCAP, Education in the New Japan , 
in which a chapter is devoted to "Textbook problems." (p. 237 ff.) 









92 


There have been three steps: in 1945 deletions were made in 
existing textbooks, by cutting out, inking over, pasting in 
strips of emendations. Courses in morals, Japanese history 
and geography, which were completely based on the former teach¬ 
ing, were suspended and texts banned. In 1946-47 some stop¬ 
gap” new textbooks were introduced, in which ary references to 
Greater Asia, Japanese racial superiority, glorification of war, 
the virtue of dying for the emperor, shinto, and religious dis¬ 
crimination were avoided. Since 1947 new textbooks are being 
written by selected Japanese scholars, which are to introduce 
ideas of democracy, such as freedom of speech and religion. 

New textbooks are subject to the approval of SCAP. 

(SCAP, Civil Information and 
Education Section . Educa¬ 
tion in the new Japan. Tokyo, 
1948. 2 v. (See v. I, p. 237 
ff.) 


LATVIA 

In 1932 the Latvian National Committee on Intellectual Coop¬ 
eration set up a subcommittee in accordance with the Casares Reso¬ 
lution, which in 1933 submitted its list of textbooks for publi¬ 
cation in Cooperation Intellectuelle . Latvia took part in the 
Baltic Congresses, and subsequently effected exchanges of history 
and geography textbooks with the Lithuanian and Estonian com¬ 
mittees . 

In 1934 a law on public instruction was adopted, among the 
clauses of which was one regarding the aims of instruction, to 
include increased study of the social sciences and to plan teach¬ 
ing to develop in the child "an understanding of the mentality of 
other peoples and of the different classes of society." 

( Intellectual co-operation 

bulletin no. 5, Mar. 1940, 
p. 171-174) 


LITHUANIA 

In accordance with the recommended Casares procedure of 1932, 
a committee for the revision of school textbooks was set up under 
the Ministry of Public Instruction, with its membership including 
the president of the National Committee on Intellectual Coopera¬ 
tion. From 1935 to 1936 no books were allowed for school use that 
had not been approved by this committee. 







93 


The Lithuanian National Committee took part in the Baltic 
Congresses, and in 1935 the Association of Lithuanian Teachers 
reported to the Oxford meeting of the International Federation 
of Teachers Associations that the exchanges of books and correc¬ 
tions had been made in full accordance with League of Nations 
principles. 

In 1938 the Polish Committee sent a protest regarding two 
textbooks used in the Russian schools of Lithuania. The Lithu¬ 
anian Committee answered that the list of its schoolbooks pub¬ 
lished in Cooperation Intellectuelle , from which the offending 
text had been taken, was no longer valid, and that the book in 
question had already been discarded. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . 

no. 64 - 65 , Apr.-May, 1936, 

p. 46 ; no. 89-90, May-June, 
1938, p. 289-290; no. 91-92, 
July-Aug., 1938, p. 428) 


MEXICO 

Mexico participated in the Pan American conferences and 
ratified the Convention on the Teaching of History, 1933, and 
the Convention concerning the Peaceful Orientation of Public 
Instruction, 1936. In 1938 she signed adherence to the Argen- 
tina-Brazil agreement. ( See Regional, p. 70) 

In 1932 the National School Teachers* League heard an 
address by its president, Prof. G. F. Avilez, asking for a new 
history of Mexico that would not "serve to feed rancors, hatreds 
and desires for vengeance within the country, as well as between 
Mexicans and foreigners.” 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . 

no. 47-48, Dec. 1934-Jan. 
1935, P. 610) 


THE NETHERLANDS 

In 1923 the Netherlands Abroad Association (Vereeniging 
Nederland in den Vreemde) instituted an inquiry on content 
of foreign textbooks regarding the Netherlands. It showed, 
that histories and geographies were inexact. The Association 
set up a department to provide foreign authors with exact 
data on the Netherlands and the Netherlands Indies. 





94 


In 1931 a committee of inquiry relative to the history books 
in use in Dutch schools was set up, in response to the urging of 
two peace associations (Association for the League of Nations 
and for Peace, Youth Committee—this was the successor of a pre- 
World War I Association for Peace by Law—and the School and 
Peace Association). Dr. Jacob Ter Meulen, Secretary of the 
Netherlands Committee on Intellectual Cooperation, was director. 
The inquiry was published in two parts, in 1935 a study of pas¬ 
sages in 293 textbooks which were open to criticism from other 
nations, and in 1939 a second report on 435 books, showing the 
attention given to teaching concerned with the League of Nations 
and the peace movement. The results were mildly critical and 
brought about a number of reforms. ( See Studies, 113) 

Three teachers’ associations, the Association of Dutch Teachers, 
the Christian Union of Men and Women Teachers of the Netherlands, 
and the Federation of Secondary School Teachers of the Nether¬ 
lands cooperated in these efforts. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi - 
sion, p. 136-138; Cooperation 
intellectuelle . no. 51-52, 

Mar.-Apr. 1935, p. 173-174) 

In 1935 the Netherlands Abroad Association, in accordance 
with the Casares procedure, sent to the Institute of Intellectual 
Cooperation a request for rectification in two histories, one Eng¬ 
lish, one French. The Institute in both cases approached the pub¬ 
lishers. The French publishers promised revision in the next edi¬ 
tion; the English publishers explained that the author had been 
long dead, but promised to consider the criticisms if a new edi¬ 
tion was issued. 

(Coop eration intellectuelle . no. 
51-52, Mar.-Apr. 1935, p. 166- 
167; no. 61-62, Jan.-Feb. 1936, 
p. 701; no. 87-88, Mar.-Apr. 
1938, p. 184) 


NEW ZEALAND 

New Zealand textbooks were approved by the Ministry of Educa¬ 
tion, and made to conform to a high standard of scientific objec¬ 
tivity and fairness. In 1934 the Dominion Conference of the New 
Zealand No More War Movement resolved to ask the International 
Institute to examine the possibility of preparing schoolbooks 
written from an international viewpoint. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 

42, Aug.-Sept. 1934, p. 310) 







95 


NORWAI 

The Norwegian Teachers’ and Professors’ Peace Organization 
was founded in 1919, and began at once to study possible reforms 
in school textbooks and readers. In 1925 a group of authors of 
school books was assembled to agree upon principles of revision 
of history textbooks, in collaboration with a sub-committee of 
the Peace Organization and representatives of two other peace 
groups, the Norwegian Association for Peace and the Norwegian 
branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. 
Their conclusions, asking for limitation of teaching of the his¬ 
tory of wars and greater attention to historical developments of 
efforts for peace and internationalism, were sent to the Ministry 
of Culture and Public Education. The Ministry complied, and 
sent out circular letters to the publishers of religious and his¬ 
tory textbooks, asking their cooperation. In 1933 the ,f Nor den" 
Association cq.v.□ sent its proposals for Scandinavian collabor¬ 
ation to the Ministry, which again showed the fullest cooperation, 
recommending the measures to educational authorities. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi - 
sion, pp. 53-54, 139-140) 


POLAND 

The Association of Polish History Professors at Congresses 
of 1923 (Poznan) and 1927 (Warsaw) discussed the possibility of 
revision of textbooks "to eliminate all tendentious suggestions 
from history." 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion. p. 140 ) 

In 1931 the Polish National Committee of Intellectual Cooper¬ 
ation reported to the Institute that the Ministry of Culture and 
Public Education, which issued approved lists of school books, 
did not admit books which were "not conceived in a spirit of 
international co-operation." The Ministry also banned books that 
might cause dissension among national elements within Poland. 

(Ibid., p. 54) 

A subcommittee of the Polish National Committee was set up 
in 1933 in accordance with the Casares Resolution, 1932. In 1935— 
1936 they started active work on the examination of foreign text¬ 
books. In the next three years extended reports were made on 
over 300 books: German, Latvian, Czech, French, Rumanian, Eng¬ 
lish, Russian, Swedish, Italian and Portuguese. In almost all 
cases the subcommittee found that the treatment accorded Poland 
in histories and geographies was slighter than that given any 
other country. The Committee communicated with the Committees of 




96 


the other nations, and reported no misunderstandings. The 
British Committee promised to ask for revision of one text. 

The Latvian Committee succeeded in having the two most criti¬ 
cized books withdrawn. The Polish Committee had in turn 
received five complaints from Italy and had warned the Polish 
publishers. After an examination of their own Polish text¬ 
books, the Committee found that from the point of view of 
international solidarity they were "perfect . n 

The largest group of textbooks examined, in 1935-1936, 
was German (145 books), on which a 205-page typewritten report 
was made. Of the first 90 checked, 63 were criticized as 
especially dangerous to international relations. The report 
was used as basis for negotiations for a Polish-German press 
agreement, according to which talks were held between Polish 
and German professors and teachers. In 1937 two delegates 
met in Berlin and examined danger points, deciding on recip¬ 
rocal improvements in passages relating to the other country. 

A second meeting was held in Berlin in 1938. Bilateral agree¬ 
ments for the revision of school textbooks were signed by 
Poland with Rumania in 1936. and with Finland in 1938. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle , 
no. 61-62, Jan.-Feb. 1936, 
p. 701-702; no. 75-76, 

Mar.-Apr. 1937, p. 155- 
156; no. 97-98, Jan.-Feb. 
1939, p. 755-756) 


PORTUGAL 

In 1933 a law was passed by the Portuguese government on 
the teaching of morals and history, in which it was ordered that 
the idea of human solidarity be emphasized in school textbooks, 
and in particular good relations with Spain and Brazil were to 
be promoted. In teaching Portuguese history, national pride 
was to be emphasized. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . 

no. 61-62, Jan.-Feb. 1936, 

p. 707-708) 


RUMANIA 

In 1931 the Rumanian National Committee on Intellectual 
Cooperation reported to the International Institute that the 
Minister of Public Education had reconsidered a textbook in 
geography which had already been approved, and withdrawn it as 
possibly offensive to neighboring nations. The Minister took 





97 


the occasion to redefine rules on school textbooks, stating 
that they must be written so that ’’the false conception of 
carrying out a national education by the employment of nega¬ 
tive and even destructive methods such as derision, contempt 
and hatred of other nations must not penetrate into the educa¬ 
tional machinery of our schools.” 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion , p. 55) 

In 1933 the International Institute reported that the Direc¬ 
tor of Rumanian Education had criticized three Hungarian books. 
The Hungarian Council of the Ministry of Education countered 
with a brochure criticizing certain Rumanian texts, and some ill 
feeling was aroused; the Institute regretted that the dealings 
had not been based on the Casares procedure, which was so speci¬ 
fically designed to prevent hurt feelings. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 
51-52, Mar.-Apr. 1935, p. 167) 

In 1936 Rumania signed a convention on intellectual cooper¬ 
ation, including a clause on textbook revision, with Poland. 

(I.I.I.C, Recueil des accords 
intellectuels, "p. 153-157) 


SOUTH AFRICA 

The South African government informed the International Insti¬ 
tute that a committee composed of the Ministers of Instruction of 
the four provinces would undertake to inform the provincial govern¬ 
ments to attempt to execute the articles of the League of Nations 
Declaration of 1937, but that ”in South Africa there was no necess¬ 
ity of revising school textbooks, as only irreproachable books, 
approved by authorities, are used in the schools.” 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 

97-98, Jan.-Feb. 1939, p. 752) 


SPAIN 

In 1922 the Spanish Academy of History heard a lecture by 
Professor Rafael Altamira, the distinguished Spanish histor¬ 
ian, member of the World Court, and later organizer of the 1932 
Conference for the Teaching of History, on the subject of histor¬ 
ical congresses and their social value. Professor Altamira urged 
examination and approval of history textbooks. Fair treatment of 
Latin America was one of the points stressed in the subsequent 
efforts of the Academy, which in 1930 began the publication of 







98 


textbooks for elementary schools conceived in a spirit of inter¬ 
national goodwill. 

The Constitution of the Spanish Republic, 1931, contained an 
article stating that the ideals of education would be "based on 
the great principles of human solidarity." In 1932 an ordinance 
was issued which placed school textbooks under the direction of 
a National Council of Culture, which was to publish annual lists 
of approved books. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi - 
sion, pp. 55, 140) 

In 1936 it was reported to the International Institute that 
the Spanish Ministry of Education had banned two American text¬ 
books on world history (Thomas and Hillyer). A single history 
book approved by the Academy had been introduced into all schools, 
and teachers were free to choose other books but exclusively from 
a list approved by the National Cultural Council. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 
61-62, Jan.-Feb. 1936, p. 709) 


SWEDEN 

Sweden shared in the work of the "Norden" Associations. In 
1928 the Swedish National Union of Teachers reported to the 
International Federation of Teachers’ Associations, supporting 
the view of the Swedish "Norden" Association in 1920, that it was 
not enough to eliminate harmful passages from history books; 
material must be added about the heroes and ideals of other peoples. 

(International Federation of 
Teachers’ Associations. Bulle ¬ 
tin . no. 3, Mar. 1928, p. 30) 

A Swedish lady, Miss Anna T. Nilsson, traveling in many Euro¬ 
pean countries, visited government circles and teachers, and asked 
whether their history books contained chapters on the peace move¬ 
ment. She exhibited examples, works by Mallet-Isaac (France), 

Lange (Norway), Munch (Denmark), etc. Promises of cooperation 
were made to her. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 
61-62, Jan.-Feb. 1936, p. 709) 

In 1936 the General Association of Swedish Teachers demanded 
of Parliament that the revision of textbooks be entrusted to the 
General Direction of Primary Education. New history and geography 
texts were reported to show "tendencies of tolerance and sympathy 
regarding international relations." 

( Ibid ., no. 66-67, June-July, 

1936, p. 66-67) 







99 


In 1936 Sweden signed a bilateral agreement regarding text¬ 
book revision with Czechoslovakia. 

(i.I.I.C. Recueil des accords 
intellectuels . p. I 69 ) 


SWITZERLAND 

In 1928 an Educational Disarmament Association, founded in 
Switzerland, included the revision of school textbooks in its 
program. Its international viewpoint is expressed in a study 
by the secretary of the Association, Reymond, "The Practical 
Teaching of History and the Geneva Spirit," L'Educateur . April 
9, June 18, 1932. 

In 1929 the 22d Congress of the Educational Society of French 
Switzerland heard reports on "The School and Peace . 11 Their reso¬ 
lutions included one for education with a view to peace, textbooks 
in "the scripture, history, singing, geography, reading and recit- 
ing," to be revised "and adapted to modern conditions of life." 

In 1932 the Swiss National Committee on Intellectual Cooperation 
set up a sub-committee in accordance with the I.C.I.C, request. 

The work of examining school text-books in use in the cantons, 
each of which selects or publishes its own, had been largely done 
hy 1932 under the Socialist Study Group of the Swiss Section of 
the Teachers’ International Trade Secretariat. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book revi ¬ 
sion . p. 141-142) 

In 1934 the Council of Basle discussed schoolbooks coming 
from Germany, which they had examined, criticizing two but not 
withdrawing them. An order was given that new books from abroad 
were not to be admitted if they contained passages that were non- 
Swiss in tendency. In 1933 it was reported to the International 
Institute that the Legation of Germany in Berne had made objections 
to a primary school book. The Swiss National Committee on Intellec¬ 
tual Cooperation had discovered that the book in question was an 
edition of 1925, which had been withdrawn from the schools before 
1928, and since issued -with revision of the protested passages. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 
47-43, Dec. 1934-Jan. 1935, 
p. 613 5 no. 97-93, Jan.-Feb. 
1939, P. 761) 


U.S.S.R. 

In 1934 a publication by Stalin, Kirov and Schdanov, "Obser¬ 
vations on Russian History Textbooks," was approved by the Central 








100 


Committee of the Communist Party. Included with the demand for 
more teaching of Soviet ideology, there was the order for greater 
attention to be paid to the history and civilization of the minor¬ 
ity peoples of the U.S.S.R. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 
61-62, Jan.-Feb., 1936, p. 708- 
709) 

Prizes were offered for the best history texts in accordance 
with the announced policy, and in 1935 a prize book (Schestakov 1 s 
Abridged History of the U.S.S.R .) was put into use in all Russian 
schools. An article abridged from an official Russian source, 
quoting at length the comments of Stalin, Kirov and Schdanov, and 
the decision of the jury in commendation of the prize text, is 
published by the International Institute. 

( Cooperation intellectuelle . 
special no. 84, Dec. 1937, p. 
576-587) 


URUGUAY 

In 1929 the National Council on Elementary and Secondary 
Education met at Montevideo, and heard a report by the delegates 
to the History Congress ( See Regional, p. 6l) , which they accepted, 
promising to consider it in the selection of textbooks. A com¬ 
mittee of the National Council was appointed to revise books cur¬ 
rently in use. On September 6, 1930, the Director of Public Educa¬ 
tion of Uruguay reported in a letter to the Secretary General of 
the League of Nations that the committee had begun its work. 

In 1931 the Uruguayan representative, Don Enrique Rogberg 
Balparda, presented to the American University Congress ( See 
Studies t p. 117 ) a report on the interest shown in school’ text¬ 
book revision in Latin America. 

(Congreso Universitario Ameri¬ 
cano. Memoria, Montevideo, 

1931, t. 2, p. 270-271) 

In 1933 Uruguay adhered to the bilateral agreement between 
Brazil and Argentina for the revision of textbooks. In 1943 she 
concluded a similar treaty with Chile. 

( See Regional, p. 73) 






101 


2. United States 


AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 

Organization founded in I 8 S 9 , with membership of several 
thousands, including all leading historians. Before 1920 the 
reports of its committees had had far-reaching effects on school 
history courses and the scientific viewpoint in history writing. 

In 1920 its committee on history and education for citizenship 
urged the study of world history. 

1923. 38th Annual Meeting. Columbus, 0 . 

Following the reading of a paper by Miss Bessie L. Pierce 
on anti-British propaganda, a committee of the executive 
council offered resolutions, which were unanimously accepted, 
expressing the opinion of the association in regard to recent 
agitation concerning textbooks in history. The forceful reso¬ 
lutions read: 

Whereas there has been in progress for several years 
an agitation conducted by certain newspapers, patriotic 
societies, fraternal orders, and others, against a number 
of school textbooks in history and in favor of official 
censorship, and 

Whereas this propaganda has met with sufficient 
success to bring about not only acute controversy in many 
cities but the passage of censorship laws in several States; 
Therefore be it 

Resolved . By the American Historial Association, upon 
recommendation of its committee on history teaching in the 
schools and of its executive council, that genuine and 
intelligent patriotism, no less than the requirements of 
honesty and sound scholarship, demand that textbook writers 
and teachers should strive to present a truthful picture of 
past and present, with due regard to the different purposes 
and possibilities of elementary, secondary, and advanced 
instruction; that criticism of history textbooks should 
therefore be based not upon grounds of patriotism but only 
upon grounds of faithfulness to fact as determined by 
specialists or tested by consideration of the evidence; 
that the cultivation in pupils of a scientific temper in 
history and the related social sciences, of a spirit of 
inquiry and a willingness to face unpleasant facts, are far 
more important objectives than the teaching of special inter¬ 
pretations of particular events; and that attempts, however 
well meant, to foster national arrogance and boastfulness 
and indiscriminate worship of national "heroes" can only tend 
to promote a harmful pseudo—patriotism; and be it further 




Resolved , That in the opinion of this association 
the clearly implied charges that many of our leading 
scholars are engaged in treasonable propaganda and that 
tens of thousands of American school teachers and officials 
are so stupid or disloyal as to place treasonable textbooks 
in the hands of children is inherently and obviously absurd; 
and be it further 

Resolved . That the successful continuance of such an 
agitation must inevitably bring about a serious deteriora¬ 
tion both of textbooks and of the teaching of history in our 
schools since self-respecting scholars will not stoop to the 
methods advocated. 

(Am. Hist. Assn. Annual Report . 

1923. p. 59-60) 

1927. The resolutions of 1923 were repeated at the annual 
meeting, and again approved. 

( American Hi storical Review, 

v. 33, Apr. 1928: p. 537)" 

1941. Relating to renewed controversy over history textbooks 
(on domestic issues) the executive committee presented a 
resolution couched in much the same terms as the 1923 docu¬ 
ment, calling for a ”truthful picture of the past” as the 
part of genuine patriotism, and stating: 

Judgment as to the merits of a textbook is the function 
of those most competent to form a judgment: the teachers 
concerned and professional scholars...This function cannot 
safely be left to propagandist organizations or to self- 
appointed groups of citizens who judge on partial evidence 
or are unsympathetic with the continuing and permanent 
role of education in a democracy...Such irresponsible efforts 
to control the school curriculum can in the end lead only to 
a ruinous deterioration of the textbooks and teaching. 

( Am. Hist. Rev. . v. 46 , July, 

1941s 1003-1004) 

1929-1933. Commission on the Social Studies . 

This commission was appointed for a five-year term, to study 
the ”chaotic” conditions of school teaching in the subjects 
classed as social sciences. It resulted in 16 published studies, 
none of which bear directly on textbook revision, although the 
subject appears frequently in incidental reference. The volume 
of Conclusions and Recommendations , prepared by Charles A. Beard 
and George S. Counts (Scribner, 1934) contains a chapter on 
"Materials of Instruction,” in which is outlined the program 
for social science instruction—one which should, in part, ”give 
a broad and comprehensive conception of the evolution of 









103 


civilization...a realistic study of the life, institutions 
and cultures of the major peoples of the contemporary 
world,” of underlying causes of war and of efforts toward 
peace. As material aid it is urged that textbooks be 
supplemented by many other forms of reference and source 
works and visual material. (0£. cit., p. 51-54, 62-65) 

In an appendix "Next steps” are considered, including: 

5. The writers of textbooks may be expected to 
revamp and rewrite their old works in accordance with 
this frame of reference and newwriters in the field of 
the social sciences will undoubtedly attack the central 
problem here conceived... 

1942-1944- Committee on American History in Schools and 
Colleges . 

Appointed in 1942 to study the field of history teach¬ 
ing, and joined with a committee of the Mississippi Valley 
Historical Association. Working with the cooperation of 
the National Council for the Social Studies (NiE.A.) a 
report (the "Wesley Report") was issued in 1944- (See 
Studies, p. 136) 


NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES 

The N.E.A. was founded in 1857, and now has a membership 
of about 400 , 000 , organized with directors in each state. 

Through its many working committees, reports and serial publi¬ 
cations, it is one of the most influential forces in American 
public education. 

1916. A committee of the Commission on the Reorganization 
of Secondary Education issued a report. The Social Studies 
in Secondary Education , which was of considerable influence 
in introducing into schools courses in the problems of 
American democracy and civics. From the first, and 
increasingly after the foundation of the League of Nations, 
the N.E.A. advocated the teaching of American problems as 
related to world problems, and presentation of facts from 
an international viewpoint. 

1921. A committee was appointed to cooperate with the Ameri¬ 
can School Citizenship Leaguefor the teaching of world 
citizenship. (See A.S.C.L.) 

1932. Dept, of Superintendence. Meeting . 

A statement signed by 12 prominent educational leaders 

was accepted by the meeting: 








104 


Textbooks in history and other subjects used in most 
of the public and private schools of the United States 
still reflect more or less the discussions of war-time 
propaganda.. .The duty of educators is clear...Dissemina¬ 
tion of vital facts with honest discussion of the issues 
they involve is a major responsibility of the Nation's 
schools. 

( Annals of the American Academy 
of Political and Social Science, 
v. 175, Sept. 1934? p. 120-121) 

1946. The National Council for the Social Studies, a depart¬ 
ment of the N.E.A., which is a professional organization 
of teachers of social studies, published as its seventeenth 
yearbook The Study and Teaching of History , edited by 
Richard E. Thursfield, which contains several essays con¬ 
cerned with revision and improvement of textbook content 
from the international viewpoint ( See Studies, p. 139). 

1948. The latest offering of the N.E.A., while not directly 
concerned with school textbooks, will undoubtedly have 
effect on new materials for classroom use. Education . 
for International Understanding in American Schools : 

Suggestions and Recommendations , prepared by three sepa¬ 
rate groups within the Association, the Committee on 
International Relations, the Association for Supervision 
and Curriculum-Eterelopment, and the National Council for 
the Social Studies (Washington, I 948 , 241p.) covers all 
forms of school materials and projects. It includes an 
18-page bibliography of readings for the "world-minded 
American," which covers important American writing on 
education for international understanding. 


AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION 

The Council was founded in 1918 as a coordinating institute 
representing many educational associations and institutions (965 
in 1947). It is at present taking American leadership in coopera¬ 
tion with UNESCO. 

In 1937 a report for the Council on the objective presenta¬ 
tion of foreign relations in American teaching was prepared by 
Elizabeth Yates Webb for submission, through the American National 
Committee on International Intellectual Cooperation, to the Inter¬ 
national Institute in response to the request for model passages 
of objective writing. 

In 1939 the president of the Council, Dr. George F. Zook, 
returning from the last Assembly of the International Committee 







105 


on Intellectual Cooperation in Geneva, wrote a paper on inter¬ 
national intellectual cooperation, in which he recommended 
unofficial joint action regarding American school textbooks 
by voluntary associations of scholars and teachers. Since 
1942 the Council, through various committees, has directed a 
number of important studies on the treatment of other nations 
in American school textbooks. The Council served as American 
sponsor of the bi-national Canada-United States study. In 
1946 Dr. Zook, addressing the annual meeting of the Southern 
Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, said: 

...I think we can now say that we have done more 
than any other country in the world to examine our text¬ 
books carefully and critically in order to eliminate 
statements which breed ill-will between us and other 
countries. The results of c our 3 researches are being 
vigorously called to the attention of textbook companies 
and authors who seem commendably anxious to repair the 
damage and to revise their texts. A little insistence 
from you people who use them will further stimulate 
their good intentions. 

( Southern Assoc. Quarterly . 

v. 11, May, 1947: p. 289) 

In 1948 the Committee on International Education and 
Cultural Relations of the American Council, working jointly 
with the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO, sponsored a 
study of Textbook Improvement and International Understanding 
by Dr. I. James Quillen ( See Studies, p. 141) 


AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION 

In the 1921 Report of the Committee on civics instruction 
in high schools, there was advocated the inclusion in civics 
texts of a number of international aspects: "national defense, 
foreign relations, the United States as a world power, the 
League of Nations, world problems and democracy." The report 
was not accepted by the annual convention of the Association, 
but textbooks soon followed the suggested outline. 

(Tryon, Rolla M. The social 
sciences as school subjects . 

New York, Scribner, 1935, 
p. 48-49) 


AMERICAN SCHOOL CITIZENSHIP LEAGUE 

This organization was founded in 1908 as the American 
School Peace League, and before the First World War had worked 






106 


for an international bureau of education and for teaching that 
would lead to a conception of world unity. In 1919 the secre¬ 
tary submitted to the Peace Conference a draft for such a 
bureau, among whose functions should be "an investigation of 
the methods of teaching history from the point of view of the 
general world outlook necessary to the successful operation 
of the League of Nations.” Later the League endorsed the 
International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation. In 1914 
the League had sponsored a Course in Citizenship , for the grade 
schools (ed. by Ella L. Cabot and others, Boston, Houghton 
Mifflin, 1914, rev. ed. 1918) which included a final chapter on 
"The World Family." In 1913 a series of textbooks called Ameri ¬ 
can Citizenship Course in United States History was begun, 
delayed to include the war and the peace treaties, and finally 
published in 1921 (Scribner, 5 v.). 

In 1921 the N.E.A. appointed a committee to cooperate with 
the League, which had changed its name in accordance with its 
purpose of preparing future American citizens who would "pro¬ 
mote a responsible world democracy and a real cooperation among 
the nations." This committee in 1923 and 1924 adopted resolu¬ 
tions dealing with international ideals, to be developed'espe¬ 
cially through the school history and geography teaching. 

(Pierce. Citizens * organiza ¬ 
tions . p. 79 ff.: American 
School Citizenship League. 
An eleven-year survey of 

activities...1908-1919 . 

Boston, 1919. 56 p.) 


ASSOCIATION FOR PEACE EDUCATION 

1923. Analysis of the emphasis upon war in our elementary 
school histories. (See Studies, p. 125) 


NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR PREVENTION OF WAR 

Organized by representatives of 17 national groups in 1921, 
in connection with the Washington Conference on the Limitation of 
Armaments, and later joined by 34 other groups. One of the three 
planks of its program was to work for world-wide education for 
peace. In its "Educational Series" of pamphlets, 1923, no. 2 was 
a study of textbooks (See Studies, Kendig-Gill, p. 129) 

(Pierce. Citizens 1 organizations. 
, P. 73) 

In 1926 the Council submitted a draft resolution to the 25th 
World Peace Conference, Geneva: 











107 


The Congress draws the attention of whomsoever it 
may concern to the importance of not introducing into 
the schools any text-books other than those calculated 
to create in the young a spirit which will be widely 
comprehensive of the higher interests of humanity, and 
of rigorously excluding those books which are calculated 
to encourage chauvinism. 

It decides to set up an international committee 
which shall study this problem in the different coun¬ 
tries and the methods best calculated to lead to the 
objects in view. 

(I.I.I.C. School text-book 
revision . 1933, p. 144 ) 


CONFERENCE ON THE CAUSE AND CURE OF WAR 

O. 925. Washington . 

This Conference was called by eight prominent women's 
organizations, educational, religious, professional and 
political. Among the addresses delivered was one on "The 
Teaching of History—Comparative Study of Textbooks Used 
in Different Countries,” by Donald Taft. ( See Studies, 

P. 133) 

One of the resolutions adopted reads 

Every child should be equipped to perform his part 
in a social structure which has a.world basis...With this 
as the first aim of the education of children, a special 
care must be taken in the teaching of such subjects as 
history, geography and language to secure in these sub¬ 
jects such text-books as are interpreters of the life of 
the world as a whole... 

Resolution no. 3 called for local councils which should 
undertake among other things: 

Examination of textbooks in loeal schools, especially 
those dealing with history, geography, and related sub¬ 
jects . 

(Conference on the Cause and Cure 
of War. Report . Washington, 
1925. Findings, p. 5, 7) 


AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN 

I 929 . Report on U.S. history textbooks (See Studies, Ullrick, 
p. 133) 






108 


BUREAU OF COOPERATIVE RESEARCH 

At the suggestion of the World Federation of Education Asso¬ 
ciations in preparation for its 1929 conference, the Bureau of 
Cooperative Research of the Indiana University School of Educa¬ 
tion undertook an inquiry regarding "principles and practices 
underlying education for world friendship and understanding." 

Two reports were published, based on the results of a widely 
circulated questionnaire, which had been answered by business 
and professional men as well as by teachers and school officials 
in the United States and Canada. The first report summarized 
the replies, the second devised tentative programs for teacher 
training institutions and public schools. 

The principles enunciated as the most acceptable to con¬ 
struct a program for teaching world-mindedness to children in 
the public schools included the need of "a special course deal¬ 
ing with world friendship and understanding," to be presented 
in connection not only with history and geography, but with all 
other parts of the school curriculum, and.to make use of new 
materials and devices, as well as textbooks revised to present 
"only the truth" about other peoples. 

If textbooks are to be used they should be revised so as 
to exclude all prejudices and propaganda and to depict the 
true characteristics, customs, and environments of the peoples 
with whom they deal. 

Much of our misinformation and many of our unfavorable 
opinions of races and nationalities are the results of having 
studied textbooks which have been written by uncritical 
authors. Children have been unskeptical of the printed page. 
They have not questioned the factual content of their text¬ 
books. This is not altogether the wrong attitude for them 
to take toward such materials. They should have unlimited 
faith in the authenticity of their textbooks. Therefore, 
the most logical safeguard against the evils that may result 
through the use of biased and prejudiced materials is a care¬ 
ful revision and selection of all subject-matter which is to 
be placed in the hands of school children whose ages range 
from six to fourteen years. (Report II, p. 26) 

No further suggestions are offered as to how to proceed 
with the revision of textbooks. 

(Smith, Henry L., and Leo M. Cham¬ 
berlain. An analysis of the atti ¬ 
tudes of American educators and 
others toward a urogram of educa ¬ 

tion for world friendship and 
understanding . Bloomington, Ind., 









109 


Bureau of Cooperative Research, 
Indiana Univ., 1929. 54 p. (.Bulle¬ 
tin of the School of Education, v. 
5. no. 4); Smith, Henry L., and 
Sherman G, Crayton. Tentative pro ¬ 
gram for teaching world friendship 
and understanding in teacher train ¬ 

ing institutions and in public 
schools .o.Bloomington, Ind., 1929. 
54 P. (Bulletin of the School of 
Education, Indiana Univ., v. 5, no. 
5) 


SOUTHWIDE CONFERENCE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS 

1933. Conference at George Peabody College. Nashville . 

The Conference recommended that teaching to promote 
inter-racial understanding be introduced into both white and 
colored schools of the South, and that "as a first step... 
each State Department of Education make a careful study of 
the public school textbooks in use in that state, with a view 
to such eliminations and additions as may be necessary to the 
above end. The details of this study should be arranged and 
the results correlated by a committee of this Conference." 

One such study was prepared for the Tennessee Dept, of 
Education by U. S. Leavell. 

Similar studies have been sponsored by the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Con¬ 
ference on Education and Race Relations. 

(Eleazer, R. B. School books and 
racial antagonism . Atlanta, 1937. 

8 p.) 


AMERICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL INTELLECTUAL 
COOPERATION 

Founded in 1926 as an unofficial body. Its work in connection 
with school textbooks consisted chiefly in transmitting the communi¬ 
cations of the International Institute to interested agencies, with 
which it cooperated in sponsorship of a number of studies. ( See 
Studies, National Society for the Study of Education, p. 139) 


U.S. NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO 

Set up by law in 1946. Its membership includes representatives 
of more than sixty national voluntary organizations. 










no 


III. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF STUDIES 
A. Countries Other than the United States 


.1. Studies of Textbooks 


Denmark. Ministry of Public Instruction . Betaenkning vedrorende 
Revision af Skoleboger. Copenhagen, F. H. Schultz, Impr. de 
1*University, 1933. 

Report of the Committee on the revision of school manuals. 
In secondary school texts, a broader treatment of economic 
history was requested; in books for lower grades, a radical 
revision was asked for, to reduce the space given to ancient 
wars and to substitute modem history and civilization. 

# c Not available for examination. Reviewed 
in Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 47-43, 

1934-1935, p. 6ll 3 

EnquSte sur les livres scolaires d’aprfes guerre. Paris, Centre 
europden de la Dotation Carnegie, 1923, 1927. 2 v. 

LB3045.E6 

This important inquiry, the first of its kind, was edited 
by M. Jules Prudhommeaux of the Dotation Carnegie. Contri¬ 
butions were sent in from the European countries, prepared 
by historians and educational authorities. About 370 volumes 
had been examined in connection with the reports from France, 
Belgium, Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Italy and Bulgaria 
which form the first volume; the second volume, published 
four years later, had reports from 16 smaller countries. 

The pattern followed in each national report was an outline 
of the main tendencies in history writing, followed by anal¬ 
yses of individual texts in regard to debatable questions. 
Long quotations are used in some cases, or rdsumds are made 
of tendentious passages. 

The Carnegie study had wide repercussions and inspired 
many other reports, including a number by German scholars— 
for instance, the Pinnow report—who claimed the work had 
been slanted toward the French viewpoint. 


^Locations are noted for works available in the Library of 
Congress and other Washington libraries. A number of European 
studies have not been available for examination in Washington, 
so that reviews in other works have been depended on for anno¬ 
tations . 





Ill 


L’Enseignement de l'histoire contemporaine et les manuels scolaires 
allemands h propos d’une tentative d’accord franco-allemand. 
Paris, Alfred Costes, 1938. 104 p. DC59.8.G3E55 

Reprinted from Revue d’histoire de la guerre mondiale, 
v. 16, Apr. 1938: 113-2U. 

The introductory essay, by Jules Isaac, ”Une tentative 
d'accord franco-allemand,” is a complete account of the 
Franco-German colloquy from origins to conclusion. This 
is followed by the analyses of German textbooks prepared 
by the five French scholars as a basis for the bi-national 
talk. They had studied the same books, each covering a 
different period, and made critical comments, enforced with 
frequent quotations. It ends with a note by Georges Lapierre 
commenting on the work by Robert Hain which the Germans had 
used as their guide regarding French textbooks. 

Hain, Robert. Deutschland im Lichte franzosischer Geschichtsbucher 
fur den Schulunterricht. Berlin, Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 
1933. 181 p. 

This study of French schoolbooks was used by the German 
historians in their preparation for the Franco-German col¬ 
loquy of 1935. The author gives a short analysis of French 
schools, and a brief review of the work in revising texts 
done in France, then examines the treatment of the German 
Reich and of relations with Germany in current French text¬ 
books, concentrating on passages concerning the foundation 
of the German Empire, the war of 1870 and subsequent events 
through the 1920’s. 

It was commented by the French representatives after the 
colloquy that Hain had proved his points of unfair treatment 
in French texts by surveying a number of old editions which 
had been revised after 1928, and by including books used only 
in the ’’free schools” (i.e., the parochial schools) and not 
in public education. 

History text books as a factor in international relations; with dis¬ 
cussion. International affairs (London) v. 15, Nov. 1936: 877- 

896. JX1.I53, v. 15 

Summary of findings of an inquiry conducted by the Study 
Group Dept, of the Royal Institute of International Affairs 
into the contents of primary school history textbooks in 34 
countries, reported by Mr. Alec Waugh. More than 200 books 
had been examined, and each made the subject of a separate 
report. These consisted of a descriptive review and an 
analysis according to different subjects, with quotations 
to illustrate the author’s attitude. The reports, some of 
which ran to 40 pages of typescript, were preserved in the 
Institute library. It was decided not to publish them, both 
because of the bulk and of the monotony of the material. 


112 


History text books... (cont.) 

Mr. Waugh stressed the point that "everywhere one found what 
one would expect to find,"—-continual emphasis on the theme 
that "unity is strength," particular aspects of nationalism 
in each nation, a constant approval of the status quo in 
government, etc. Many of the writers of textbooks were per¬ 
plexed by the difficulty of reconciling a desire for peace 
with the necessity for national defense. There was a gen¬ 
eral tendency to regard war as a necessary evil rather than 
to glorify it, and a fairly high standard of impartiality 
was to be found in accounts of wars—less evident for the 
world war and subsequent international events than for ear¬ 
lier periods. 

In the discussion the League of Nations action regarding 
textbook revision was described, and it was commented that 
"the revision of textbooks was a matter primarily for the 
historians of each country. All that could be hoped for 
was a process of slow mutual adjustment." An attempt was 
made to define objectivity of writing, and it was suggested 
that objectivity was an attitude of mind, not so much ad¬ 
herence to facts as a passion for truth. It was not a ques¬ 
tion of making history objective, but of making men objective. 

Isaac, Jules. L’histoire des origines de la guerre dans les manuels 
allemands. Revue d’histoire de la guerre mondiale, v. 10, Jan. 
1932: 25-52. D501.R577, v. 10 

Notes on a number of the chief controversial points in 
Franco-German relations, made after an analysis of 8 of the 
most recently published or revised textbooks for secondary 
schools in Germany. The works are compared, with brief 
quotations and r^sumds of viewpoints. The author’s con¬ 
clusion is that despite occasional flashes of objectivity, 
the German historians all plead the national cause from a 
double moral standard. He points out, however, that the 
German professors have forestalled such a judgment by claim¬ 
ing for themselves the only scientific truth and accusing 
"other nations" of the double moral standard. In this con¬ 
nection he quotes from Dr, Arnold Reimann, president of the 
German Association of History Professors, in 1928. 

Kawerau, Siegfried. Denkschrift iiber die deutschen Geschichts- und 
Lesebiicher vor allem seit 1923. Berlin, Hensel, 1927. 208 p. 

D16.4.G3K3 

A survey of German textbooks inspired by the Carnegie re¬ 
port, for which it was originally intended. The first part 
is an examination of treatment of specific questions with 
long quotations from the books studied, the second part an 
annotated bibliography of histories and school readers. The 
author pointed out many passages that might lead to inter¬ 
national ill will. 



113 


Lapierre, Georges. ^Report on school textbooks n contaminated by 
the war spirit.Syndicat National des Institutrices et 
Instituteurs de la France et des Colonies. Bulletin, no. 60, 

1926: 25-34. 

This report outlined the program of action for the French 
teachers in their campaign against warlike books, and named 
26 history textbooks and readers which were to be banned, 
giving extracts to show their tendentious character. 

Other reports on the campaign by M. Lapierre, tt L'4cole 
au service de la reconciliation des peuples, u were given at 
the 1928 and 1929 Congresses, and are published in the Bul ¬ 
letin of those years. 

League of Nations Association of Japan. Anti-Japanese education 
in China. Tokyo, 1931. 33 p. (international gleanings from 

Japan, Nov. 28, 1931. Suppl. no. 2) DCE* 

A pamphlet for submission to the League of Nations during 
the discussion on the Manchurian incident. The Introduction, 
which includes reproductions of anti-Japanese posters in 
China, is followed by lengthy quotations from Chinese text¬ 
books about Japan and Sino-Japanese relations. 

Netherlands. Commissie voor het Geschiedenisonderwi.is . Vredesbeweging 
en Volkenbond op onze Scholen: I. Rapport in zake de wijze, 
waarop in de Nederlandsche schoolboeken vor het Lager-Middelbaar- 
en Gymnasiaal-onderwijs de Volkenbond en de in het Vredespaleis 
gevestigde instellingen behandeld worden (z.g. Kleine enqu§te). 
Leiden, A. W. Sijthoff's Uitgeversmaatschappij, 1935. 22 p. 

The Dutch Committee for the Teaching of History collabo¬ 
rated in their extensive survey of textbooks used in the 
Netherlands with the National Committee on Intellectual Co¬ 
operation and with the Youth Committee of the League of Na¬ 
tions Association and the "School and Peace” Association. 

The chairman was Dr. Jacob Ter Meulen, secretary of the Nat¬ 
ional Committee on Intellectual Cooperation. Vol. I, the 
"Little inquiry,” reported an examination of 293 textbooks 
as to their treatment of the peace movement, their preoccu¬ 
pation with war, their presentation of relations with Spain 
and with the Catholic church, and similar controversial 
subj ects. 

_ _____ Same . II. Rapport met betrekking tot de vraag en 

hoeverre de Nederlandsche Geschiedenisschoolboeken voor het 
Lager-Mi ddelbaar-en Gymnasiaal-onderwi j s in het algemeen een 
vredelievend karakter dragen of wel tekenen van oorlogszucht 


*Camegie Endowment for International Peace. Library, 
Washington, D. C. 




Netherlands. Commissie ... (cont.) 

of chauvinisme vertonen Grote Enqu§te. Leiden, Sijthoff, 1939. 
24 p • 

The "Big inquiry” covered examination of 435 works, touch¬ 
ing on the same points as the earlier study. The general 
conclusions were that the textbooks were fairly impartial 
and objective; a few criticisms were made as to scientific 
accuracy and lack of attention to other nations. 

c ”Norden” Associations^ Nordens Larobocker i Historia: Omsesidig 
Granskning verkstalld av ForeningarnasFacknamnder. Helsinki, 
Finska Litteratursallskapets Tryckeri A.B., 1937. 257 p. 

The result of the survey by the joint committee of experts 
of the Norden Associations, citing comparative treatment in 
the textbooks of the five Scandinavian countries of debatable 
points in their joint history from the Middle Ages to the 
present. 

- Omstridte Sporgsmaal i Nordens Historie. Copenhagen, 

Foreningarna Nordens Historika Publikationer II, Gads forlag, 
1940. 

Second volume of the Norden survey, giving model passages 
of objective treatment of Scandinavian history. 

Olay, Ferenc, Un nationalisme exaspdrd dans le Sud-Est europden 
cRdponse k la brochure de M, Constantin Kiritescu intitulde 
le "Ddsarmement moral” 3 Budapest, 1935. 50 p. DCE 

A defense of Hungarian textbooks which had been attacked 
in a Rumanian pamphlet, quoting passages which the author 
considered laudable, then returning the attack in an analysis 
of tendentious passages and maps in Rumanian textbooks, for¬ 
tified by long quotations. 

Pinnow, Hermann, ed. Deutschland im Lichte auslandischer Schulbucher 
der Nachkriegszeit. Berlin, Verlag fur Kulturpolitik, 1927. 

109 p. 

A study by about ten specialists on the textbooks of France 
and Belgium, and some English and American books, in regard 
to passages referring to Germany, particularly in relation 
to the war and the peace treaties. The work, published for 
the German Association of History Professors, recognized im¬ 
provements in the newer books over those brought out in 1919 
and 1920, but still pointed to many inflammatory passages. 
During the French campaign for revision of histories, the 
Pinnow report was much used and quoted. 

Reimann, Arnold. Gutachten uber die deutschen Geschichtslehrbucher. 

c See Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work 
below -i 





115 


Scott, Jonathan French, The menace of nationalism in education. 

London, G. Allen & Unwin, 1926. 226 p. LC1091.S3 

One of the first studies following after the Carnegie 
Endowment inquiry. The author had traveled in Europe and 
examined programs of study as well as textbooks in France 
and Germany. His analysis is chiefly of French, German 
and English manuals, in all of which he found nationalism, 
especially in Germany. 

Starr, Mark. Lies and hate in education, London, L, and V. Woolf, 
Hogarth Press, 1929. 197 p. LB1581.S7 

A popular study, from the Labour Party angle, of the 
nationalistic and class biases shown in the textbooks of 
England, France, Germany, Russia and the smaller countries 
of Europe, with account of official and unofficial action 
revealing prejudice, some attention to efforts toward re¬ 
vision, a few quotations of obj'ectionable or laudable pas¬ 
sages from manuals, a final chapter on "The antidote"— 
more positive teaching of scientific and obj’ective nature-— 
and an appendix giving a "white list" of textbooks. 

Tokyo. Sokihusha (Press Association) Anti-foreign teachings in 
new textbooks of China. Tokyo, 1931. 182 p. 

Long series of extracts from Chinese textbooks, both in 
the original and English. The preface accuses the Chinese 
texts of distorted construction of facts to put foreigners 
in an unfair light, and of "gross omission of the truth" in 
accounts of foreign action. "In some cases tendentious 
statements ... are not conspicuous to casual readers, yet 
an analogous effort is produced, chiefly by giving full play 
to the hyperbolical style or the subtle metaphorical style 
which is a characteristic of Chinese literature. Thus there 
are employed not only suppressio veri but suggestio falsi." 

c Not available for examination. Quoted by Victor Purcell 
in his Problems of Chinese education , London, 1936, p. 165 .3 

Union of Educational Institutions of Shanghai. Glimpses into Japanese 
schoolrooms, including a refutation of certain Japanese propaganda. 
Shanghai, c 1932 ? 3 30 p. DCE 

Issued in refutation of two Japanese pamphlets on anti- 
foreign education and anti-Japanese education in China. Quotes 
selections from Japanese primary and secondary school texts 
to illustrate Japanese teaching of her policy of aggression 
by every known means of education. The first part is "Glimpses 
into Japanese schoolrooms," the second part, "Refutation of 
Japanese propaganda," quoting Chinese texts, and ending with 
statistics of schools destroyed in greater Shanghai in 1931-32. 






116 


Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work, Stockholm , 1925. 

Report on nationalism in history textbooks, prepared and com¬ 
piled by the Working committee of a special commission on 
education. Stockholm, A. B. Magn. Bergvalls forlag, 1928. 

2 v. DCE 

Edited by Wilhelm Carlgren and signed by Vemer Soderberg. 

Text in English, French and German. 

The inquiry undertaken by the committee of the World Al¬ 
liance and the Universal Christian Conference ( See Inter¬ 
national, p. 47 ) followed the pattern set by the Carnegie 
inquiry, of reports on the textbooks of each country made 
by national experts. A circular had been sent asking for 
reports of 10 to 20 pages, giving a list of the most widely 
used textbooks in history, what percentage they represented 
of the total stock of texts, a short characterization of 
the most important works, with quotations, and an analysis 
of the dominating tendencies in history teaching, particu¬ 
larly its evolution during and after the warj also attention 
to national minorities. 

Reports were sent from Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia 
(2), Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France (by Prudhommeaux, 
editor of the Carnegie report), Holland (2), Hungary, Italy, 

Latvia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland (2), In general, 
these reports kept to the lines indicated, and in their anal¬ 
yses of tendencies admitted nationalistic spirit, pointed out 
errors made in the immediate postwar writing, but claimed there 
was notable improvement in the new forms of teaching. 

The German report, by Dr. Arnold Reimann, was 77 pages long, 
and did not conform to the set pattern, so that it was printed 
as a supplement, "Gutachten uber die deutschen Geschichtslehrbucher.'* 
Dr. Reimann began with a heated reproach of foreign writers, who 
all accused the German textbooks of inciting the war spirit, and 
included in his reproach the German pacifist professor, Kawerau, 
whose inquiry into textbooks of his own country had given the 
world a wrong impression. Reimann' then advanced his proof of 
the objective writing of German texts, by quoting long impar¬ 
tial passages regarding foreign countries. He concluded his 
report with criticisms of foreign textbooks and a discussion 
of German ideals and teaching in the spirit of the League of 
Nations. 

The report, prepared for the Oslo Congress of Historians, 1928, 
proved so controversial that it was withheld from public sale. 

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Toronto branch . 

Report of the Canadian school history textbook survey ... Toronto, 
1935. 67 p. DCE 

A statistical survey of Canadian textbooks, prepared under 
the auspices of the W.I. L., and correlated from reports by many 






117 


Women’s International League ... (cont.) 

readers by Prof. Peter Sandiford, University of Toronto. 40 
widely used textbooks were examined for the space devoted to 
military history, glorification of war, political economic 
and social history, and for tendencies toward braggadocio, 
national bias, etc. The study followed closely the lines of 
the report prepared in the United States by the American 
Assn, of Univ. Women. (See Ullrich, p. 133) 


2. Studies of the Problem 

Altamira y Crevea, Rafael. Problkmes modernes d’enseignement en 

vue de la conciliation entre les peuples et de la paix morale; 
tr. by Michel Lhdritier. Paris, Presses Universitaires de 
France, 1932. 282 p. JX1952.A66 

Articles and speeches by the great Spanish historian, jurist 
of the World Court and organizer of the 1932 Congress for the 
Teaching of History. Dating chiefly from 1914 to 1930, they 
reflect his lifelong concern with scientific truth in the pres¬ 
entation of history, and with the spread of internationalism 
through education. A number of these papers discuss the at¬ 
tempts of modem historians in Spain, America and Holland to 
introduce into popular education a less biased view of Spanish 
history. Others treat worldwide teaching for peace, with par¬ 
ticular reference to teaching on the elementary school level. 
One article is devoted to the actual problem of the school 
history textbook (p. 218-226). 

Balparda, Enrique Rogberg. c Paper on efforts in Latin America for 
revision of textbooks^ (In Congreso Universitario Americana, 
Montevideo, 1931. Memoria y actas, t. 2; 267-273) 

Pan American Union Library 

The report of the early efforts in Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, 
Argentina and other Latin American countries was made by a 
Uruguayan scholar who had been in touch with the International 
Institute and hoped to introduce the Casares procedure in the 
Western Hemisphere. 

Clapar&de, Jean L. L’enseignement de l’histoire et 1*esprit inter¬ 
national. (2d ed.) Paris, Les Presses Universitaires, 1931. 

105 p. DG ® 

A review of the movement for writing of history from an 
international viewpoint and particularly for revision of text¬ 
books, by a former associate of the International Institute 
of Intellectual Cooperation. In narrative form, it covers 
much the same ground as the 1931 edition of the I.I.I.C. 


118 


Claparfcde, Jean L. (cont.) 

survey, describing the various national, regional and inter¬ 
national congresses, the studies, the League of Nations work, 
ending with conclusions and plans for next steps. The first 
edition, 1929, formed the basis for a paper presented to the 
1930 International Moral Education Congress, at which M. 
Clapar&de offered his criteria for the examination of school 
manuals. 

Conference de La Paix par l'Ecole. Travaux de la Conference inter¬ 
net ionale .. . Prague, 1927; by Pierre Bovet. Geneve, Bureau 
International d'Education; Prague, Societe Pedagogique Comenius, 
1927. 118 p. JX1907.C78 1927 

A number of the papers presented to the Conference c9.* v *3 
were directly concerned with the question of school textbooks, 
notably "Comment 1'esprit de paix devrait-il se manifester 
dans les manuels d'histoire," by Zdenek Franta, "Sur l 1 amel¬ 
ioration des manuels scolaires et 1'enseignement de l'his¬ 
toire," by Jules Prudhommeaux, "Les manuels d'histoire," by 
Sarafov et Boubou. 

Cooperation intellectuelle. 1-101/102; jan. 1931-mai/juin 1939. 

Paris, Institut International de Cooperation Intellectuelle, 
1931-39. 102 nos. in 9 v. AS4.I 633 

Beginning with no. 20-21, Sept.-Oct. 1932, news regarding 
the movement for revision of textbooks was regularly printed 
under the heading of "La revision des manuels scolaires." 

- "L'enseignement de l'histoire," special no. 84 , Dec. 1937, 

p. 567-637, contains: 

"Accord franco-allemand sur 1'enseignement de l'histoire," 
giving the text of the prefatory notes to the report of the 
Franco-German colloquy; 

"La revision reciproque des manuels scolaires scandinaves," 
a report on the work of the "Norden" Associations; 

"Rdforme des manuels d'histoire en U.R.S.S.," abridged 
translation of an article on textbooks in Russia; 

"Enqudte partielle sur les manuels d'histoire," a selection 
of model passages from textbooks used in Denmark, the United 
States, Finland, France, Norway, Netherlands and Sweden, grouped 
according to subject—e.g., "La grande guerre." A list of books 
used in these countries follows the selected passages. 

cFranco-German Historians, Meeting, 1935 D Resolutions. Cooperation 
intellectuelle (Paris) no. 78-79, June-July, 1937: 288-306. 

AS4.I633 1937 

The full text of the decisions on debatable points of his¬ 
tory from 1870, made by the representatives of the German 
and French associations of historians. The prefatory notes 
are not included, but were published in the special number 
°f Cooperation intellectuelle . no. 84 , Dec. 1937, p. 568-573. 



119 


’’Friends of Europe.” The teaching of history % its purpose, material 
and method, by Wilhelm Rodiger. London, 1937. 34 p. (Pamphlet 

no. 57) * 

An analysis of a handbook for German elementary school 
teachers, by a Nazi spokesman (Rodiger, Geschichte: Ziel . 

Stoff und Weg. Leipzig, Klinkhardt, 1934), which expounded 
the principles of national-socialist teaching. A11 education 
is to be ’’political”; ’’The idea of race is first to be touched 
on emotionally, and then gradually comprehended by the reason.” 

International Bureau of Education, Geneva. Elaboration, utilisation 
et choix des manuels scolaires. Geneva, 1938. 164 p. (Publi¬ 
cation no. 59) LB3045.I5 

A compilation of information provided by national minis¬ 
tries of education regarding the methods of textbook selec¬ 
tion operative in each country. The question of textbook 
content is not involved. 

- L’enseignement de la geographic dans les 4coles secondaires. 

Geneva, 1939. 210 p. (Publication no. 67) 

c Not available for examination^ 

- Literature enfantine et collaboration internationale. Chil¬ 
dren’s books and international goodwill. Geneva, 1932. 192 p. 

Z1037.I62 

2d edition of a bibliography prepared as the result of 
questionnaires sent to libraries, teachers and editors in 
all countries, in connection with an exhibit of the best 
literature for children in all languages, set up for the 
1929 meeting of the World Federation of Education Associa¬ 
tions in Geneva. The collection has been maintained and 
added to as a permanent exhibit at the International Bureau. 

By the term ”international collaboration,” the editors 
signified works that might develop the spirit of peace by 
giving children knowledge and understanding of other coun¬ 
tries, as well as those written specially with pacifist aims. 
The references, listed under countries, are to stories, poems, 
picture books, travel books and other literature for children, 
not to school textbooks. These lists have been used widely 
by publishers seeking works for translation. 

International Committee of Historical Sciences. The teaching of 
history in elementary schools; enquiry of the sub-committee 
for the teaching of history. Bulletin (Paris) v. 3, no. 13, 

Oct. 1931: 319-508; v 0 4, no. 17, Nov. 1932 : 563-757. 

D3.A17, v. 3, 4 

Three reports, from Spain by Prof. Altamira, from Finland, 
by Gunnar Suolahti, and from France by M. Lhiritier, had been 
published in the issue of June, 1930, p. 667-688. The full 






120 


International Committee of Historical Sciences. (cont.) 

reports that resulted from the first broad inquiry sponsored 
by the Committee were introduced with a "Rapport gdndral" by 
P, Capra of France. In Bull. no. 13 there are printed re¬ 
ports from national representatives in 17 countries; in Bull, 
no. 17 those from 2S other countries. Text is in English, 
French, German, Spanish and Italian. 

The reports, in which the scope of history teaching to 
include international aspects is the factor chiefly consid¬ 
ered, deal more with methods and school courses than with 
textbooks. 

- L’enseignement de l’histoire dans les dcoles secondaires. 

Bulletin (Paris) v. 6, no. 23, June, 1934s 117-225. 

D3.A17, v. 6 

Results of the second general inquiry, with "Rapport gdndral" 
by E. Boyesen, and IS national reports. The plan of the re¬ 
ports corresponds to that for the inquiry on elementary schools, 
above . 

International Conference for the Teaching of History. Conference 
internationale pour 1’enseignement de l’histoire. Bulletin 
trimestriel, no. 2. Paris, 1§33. DCE 

The second and final issue of the ambitious Bulletin car¬ 
ried reports of the 1st Conference at The Hague, giving texts 
of the papers. These included Frederick J. Gould, "The ques¬ 
tion of the revision of school history-books," Helen Corke, 

"The ideal contents of school history-books," papers on his¬ 
tory teaching and internationalism in Belgium, France, South 
America. "A manual of Franco-German relations," by Jean de 
Pange and Fritz Kern is the report of a project for a three- 
volume work, which they had planned out together, to be written 
by French and German historians working jointly and studying 
all points of international disagreement from the earliest 
times to the present. 

International Institute of Intellectual Cooperation. La revision 
des manuels scolaires contenant des passages nuisibles h. la 
comprehension mutuelle des peuples. Paris, 1932. 224 p. 

LB3045.I6 

The first edition of the report on the survey undertaken 
by the Institute, presented to the I.C.I.C. as basis for the 
work of the Committee of experts on the teaching of history 
in 1931. It was superseded by the revised and enlarged edi¬ 
tion in English of 1933, below . 

- School text-book revision and international understanding. 

2d (English) ed., rev. and enl. Paris, 1933. 192 p. 

LB3045.I62 1933 




121 


I.I.I.C. (cont.) 

This report presents "the whole bocty- of information and 
documentation" on the movement to eliminate from school 
textbooks passages likely to compromise international under¬ 
standing to the date of its publication. The material is 
arranged in chapters on the work of the League of Nations, 
the various national governments, the international asso¬ 
ciations, regional associations and national associations, 
with accounts in narrative form of action by each body, en¬ 
forced with long quotations from documents. The question 
of textbooks is in many cases involved in the more general 
subject of the teaching of history. 

For the English edition there was added a chapter on the 
much-discussed project of an international history book, to 
be published for simultaneous use in more than one country, 
and a final chapter embodying the replies received from nat¬ 
ional educational authorities about their regulations re¬ 
garding the adoption of school textbooks. The Final Form 
of the Casares Resolution is printed in an Appendix. There 
is np index, but a full table of contents at the beginning 
lists each association. 

- L’Institut international de cooperation intellectuelle, 1925“ 

1946. Paris, 1946: p. 165-250. U.So Dept, of State Library 
An account of the entire history of the Institute, with 
a long chapter on "Revision des manuels scolaires et l'enseigne- 
ment de l’histoire." In this chapter there is first a chrono¬ 
logical survey of action by the I.C.I.C. and Institute, then 
a discussion of the aims and results achieved, and proposals 
for future action. A brief bibliography, a table of inter¬ 
national and national organizations interested in the work, 
and the text of the 1932 Final Form of the Casares Resolution 
complete the chapter. 

International Moral Education Congress. Geneva . 1922. L>esprit 

international et 1 1 enseignement de l'histoire. Etudes present6es„.. 
Neuch&tel, Delachaux & Niestl6, 1922. 234 P° DCE 

A set of papers on moral and international elements in teach¬ 
ing of history", by representatives of many countries. Of par¬ 
ticular interest are "Internationalism and nationalism in the 
teaching of history," by Pau Vila; "League of Nations in his-^ 
tory and in teaching of historical sciences," by Oscar Halecki, 
and "Teaching of history, auxiliary of education toward the 
league of humanity," by F. J. Gould. The question of textbook 
revision is not directly touched upon. It was at this Congress 
that the important "Geneva resolutions" for an international 
spirit in history teaching were passed. 

—- j>th, Paris , 1930. 

See Claparfede, above . 




122 


Lapierre, Georges. L’enseignement international de l'histoire. 
F4d6ration Internationale des Associations d*Instituteurs. 

Bulletin trimestriel (Paris) no. 17, July, 1932: 30-50. 

L10.14894, "no. 17 

A review by the Secretary of the Federation of steps 
taken by this organization and other international bodies 
toward the revision of textbooks, the preparation of an 
international manual, and teaching in a spirit of recon¬ 
ciliation. The questionnaires submitted by the Federation 
to its member associations are discussed in detail. An 
appendix of documents gives texts of the Casares Resolution, 

1925 and 1932, the resolution of the Committee for Moral 
Disarmament, etc. 

Prudhommeaux, Jules J. Pour la paix par l’dcolej ce qui a 6t6 
fait en France pour lutter contre les livres scolaires 
contraires au rapprochement des peuples (1923-1928) 2d ed. • 
Nimes, Editions de la Paix par le Droit, 1928. 38 p. 

DCE 

A precise account of the campaign for textbook reform in 
France, begun in 1924 by the radical F6d6ration Unitaire de 
l’Enseignement and taken up in 1926 by the Syndicat National. 
Gives titles of textbooks banned and describes, with brief 
quotations, typical passages that had been purged or revised. 

Raviz<5, A. L’dtat actuel des manuels scolaires en France. Deutsch- 
franzosische Rundschau, (Berlin) v. 5, Nov. 1932: 805-807. 

DD1.D4, v. 5 

Answering criticisms that had appeared in the German press, 
the president of the French League for German Studies asserted 
that, in consequence of the violent campaign made by the Syndicat 
National des Instituteurs, no books containing bitter and un¬ 
just accounts of the 1st world war were in use in French pub¬ 
lic schools. He listed the history textbooks chiefly in use, 
and quoted the revised passages to show that references to 
atrocities had been eliminated, and that in some cases authors 
had even quoted German texts. He suggested that the German 
critics had been examining books out of date or never used 
in public schools. 

Sanchez Trincado, J. L. c Revival of interest in publication of a 
unified text of history for primary and middle schools. 3 
Educacidn y cultura (Montevideo) Mar.-Apr. 1946, p. 37-38. 

Pan American Union File 

An article in the international review edited by the or¬ 
ganizing committee of the 5th American Congress of School 
Teachers, ty a Mexican scholar, urging a common history 
reader for Latin America. 




123 


Schmitz, Lamberto Wie denkt und urteilt man in der padagogischen 
Offentlichkeit Deutschlands iiber die Erzeihung zur volker- 
versohnenden Geisteshaltung. Bottrop i. Westf., W, Postberg, 

1932o 115 p. 

Report on an inquiry sent to many teachers of a.11 classes, 
somewhat resembling the report made by the Bureau of Edu¬ 
cational Research of Indiana University in 1929 ( See p. 108) „ 

The author stated his views on specific points regarding 
an international spirit in teaching, and collected statistics 
of affirmative and negative answers. 84 per cent of the re¬ 
plies agreed that textbooks should treat international affairs 
and should be as objective as possible regarding other coun¬ 
tries. 

cNot available for examination. Reviewed in Cooperation 
intellectuelle . no. 22-23, Nov. 1932, p. 1288 3 

UNESCO. Les livres de classe et la ddcouverte du monde. Paris, 

Services fran$ais d*information, Direction de la Documentation, 

July 1, 1947. 19 p« (Notes documentaires et etudes no. 657. 

Sdrie internationale, CLI) Govt. Publications Reading Room 
Study by the Education section of UNESCO. The English 
language report of the Preparatory Commission, below , while 
not an exact translation, is essentially the same work. 

-Looking at the world through textbooks. Paris, Nov. 14, 1946. 

27 p. (Doc. C/9) 

A summary of the significant events in the movement for 
textbook revision, made by the Secretariat of UNESCO at the 
request of the Preparatory Commission. The historical rdsumd 
is arranged under early efforts of individuals and national 
organizations, I.C.I.C., later national efforts, general con¬ 
clusions. The recommended program of action for UNESCO, a 
brief list of references, and an Appendix containing the Final 
Form of the Casares Resolution complete the survey. 

"War guilt" in France and Germany? resolutions adopted by a committee 
of French and German historians for the improvement of textbooks 
in both countries} tr. by Bemadotte E. Schmitt. American his¬ 
torical review (New York) v, 43, Jan. 1938s 321-341° 

Translation of the text of the decisions on specific points 
of Franco-German relations made at the colloquy of historians 
in 1935. (See above , Franco-German Historians.) 

Wells, Herbert George. Poison called history. 19th century and after 
(London) v. 123, May, 193S: 521-534° AP4oN7, v. 123 

In a thought-provoking article Wells asserts that the his¬ 
tory of an individual nation can never be written or taught 
without a bias that will cultivate nationalism, and calls for 
the scrapping of old textbooks and teaching in national his¬ 
tory for children, to be replaced by the biological history of 
mankind, without regard to national boundaries, heroes or ideology. 







124 


B. United States 


1. Studies of Textbooks 


Altschul, Charles. The American revolution in our school text-books,* 
an attempt to trace the influence of early school education on 
the feeling towards England in the United States. New York, 
Doran, 1917. 168 p. E209.A46 

Survey by a businessman, not an historian, of children’s 
history textbooks, some currently in use and for comparison 
some used twenty years before, to determine what anti-British 
prejudices had been instilled by teaching about the American 
Revolution. The author gives statistics on the treatment of 
certain questions, and divides books into 5 general classes, 
quoting illustrative statements. The first systematic study 
on the subject. 

American Council on Education. The Canada-United States Committee 
on Education . A study of national history textbooks used in 
the schools of Canada and the United States. c Niagara Falls, 
0nt o American Council on Education, 1947. 81 p. (Canada- 

United States Committee on Education. Publication no. 2) 

This committee vras set up in 1944 on initiative of the 
American Council. Canadian sponsors are Canadian Education 
Association, Canadian Teachers’ Federation, and National 
Conference of Canadian Universities. Two bi-national groups 
of teachers in workshops at summer schools at Harvard and 
Ontario College of Education, Univ. of Toronto, in 1945 ex¬ 
amined textbooks in history used in elementary and secondary 
schools of America and Canada respectively (23 American, 38 
Canadian) and submitted reports, which were reviewed by the 
committee and consulting historians, revised at 1946 summer 
schools, and edited for publication. 

Both sets were scanned for content, with tabulated record 
of lines and pages, maps, charts and pictures, and evaluated 
by chronological periods. Quoted material is not identified. 
Each section ends with recommendations. A final chapter gives 
notes of advice to the teachers of the two countries. Appen¬ 
dices list the chronological outlines used and the textbooks 
examined. 

Note ; Publication no. 1 of the Canada-United States Com¬ 
mittee, Education for mutual understanding and friendship be ¬ 
tween Canada and the United States (Jan. 19A5. 15 n.) is a 
general statement of aims. 







125 


American Council on Education. Committee on Asiatic Studies in 

American Education . Treatment of Asia in American textbooks. 

New York, 1946. 104 p. incl. tables. DS12.A5 

Prepared with the collaboration of the American Council, 
Institute of Pacific Relations. Study of courses in geog¬ 
raphy, world history, U. S„ history, civics and modem prob¬ 
lems, surveying 108 books, of which 46 in geography, the 
most widely used and relatively recent texts. Examined by 
four competent social science teachers, in consultation with 
specialists on Asia. Division by four regions, China, Japan, 
India, Southeast Asia. Tabulation of pages of text, pictures, 
maps and charts, by disciplines, with qualitative analysis 
of treatment of special topics, conclusions and recommendations. 
Texts listed in appendix. 

- Committee on the Study of Teaching Materials in Intergroup 

Relation s.(Howard E. Wilson, Director.) Intergroup relations 

in teaching materials. Washington, D. C., American Council on 
Education (for publication in late 1943) ( See Wilson, below) 

Survey and appraisal of 316 texts and course-of-study out¬ 
lines ranging from about Grade IV to Grade XIV (through jun¬ 
ior college) in the fields of United States history, world 
or general history, social geography, citizenship and civics, 
modem problems, biology, literature, sociology and psychology. 
This group includes 267 textbooks, 24 introductory college 
texts, and 25 college manuals. 

- Committee on the Study of Teaching Materials on Inter-American 

Subjects . Latin America in school and college teaching materials. 

Washington, D. C„, 1944® 496 p. F1408.5.A462 

This report has been widely cited as a model for textbook 
analysis. It presents a survey, with conclusions, made by 
qualified experts, of all types of teaching materials, from 
elementary through college level, that touch on Latin America. 
History, geography, biography, political science, inter¬ 
national affairs, sociology, language and literature text¬ 
books, some 800 in all, were examined, as well as pictures 
and photographs, collections of art objects, songs and music, 
and 75 educational motion pictures. Three points were stressed: 
a quantitative statement of material on Latin America in the 
group of works studied; a critical evaluation of thiis material; 
suggestions for improvement. An Appendix lists the basic teach¬ 
ing material examined. 


Association for Peace Education. An analysis of.the emphasis upon 

war in our elementary school histories. Chicago, The Association, 

1923 . 23 p. 

Examination of 24 history textbooks and 24 supplementary 
readers, by three professors, John Munroe and Ralph L. Henry 
of Carleton College and J. M. McElhannon of Baylor College. 










126 


Association for Peace Education. (cont.) 

Space devoted to war and to peace in text and illustrations 
tabulated, and qualitative estimates given, with identified 
quotations. The examiners found n a slight tendency toward 
improvement in the new texts” as to treatment of war, but 
utter inadequacy in peace material. 

Bagley, W. C., and H. 0. Rugg. The content of American history as 
taught in the seventh and eighth grades: an analysis of typical 
school textbooks. Urbana, Ill., University of Illinois, 1916. 

59 p. (School of Education, Bull. no. 16) E178.1.B14 

A pioneer analysis of textbook content. The authors ex¬ 
amined 23 textbooks published between 1865 and 1912, to de¬ 
termine the emphasis placed on certain large divisions of 
history, with results tabulated in percentages of total of 
each book. The primary interest was to gauge how far the 
books have taught military history rather than economic and 
social development, what names of heroes and leaders have 
been most prominent and what changes had taken place over 
fifty years. The question presented in the final summary as 
the one to be decided for the future of history teaching is 
"the desirability or undesirability of making the development 
of nationalism the primary function of seventh and eighth 
grade history." The authors have since been leaders in the 
movement for a broader conception of history to include the 
social studies, and Dr. Rugg's textbooks have been the chief 
targets of attack by the nationalist propaganda groups during 
the 'thirties. 

Blackburn, Caspar. Spain and the United States in American history 
textbooks. New York, Teachers College, Columbia Univ., 1936. 
Unpublished master's thesis—unavailable for examination. 

Blythe, Irene T. The textbooks and the new discoveries, emphases 
and viewpoints in American history. Historical outlook (Wash¬ 
ington) v. 23, Dec. 1932: 395-402. D16.3.S65, v. 23 

Statistical study, listing 32 new contributions to American 
historical scholarship between 1893 and 1928, with examination 
of 53 secondary school textbooks published before 1930, to see 
which points were included. Conclusion is that the new ad¬ 
vances do not receive general distribution in textbooks for 
20 years after their origin. 

Burkhardt, Richard W. Soviet Union in American school textbooks. 

Public opinion quarterly (Princeton, N. J.) v. 11, no. 4, 1947: 
567-571. HM261.A1P8, v. 11 

By the director of the study in progress under the auspices 
of the American Council on Education, the report on which is 


127 


Burkhardt, Richard ¥. (cont,) 

soon to be published. It analyzes 117 books, 29 geographies, 

19 world histories, 28 American histories, 16 texts in civics, 
and 25 in modem problems. Specific critical evaluations are 
presented by recognized scholars, forming basis for statisti¬ 
cal and general conclusions, summarized in this article. 

Butler, Jo Overton, The treatment of the Negro in public school text¬ 
books in history, civics, and American problems in use in the 
Southern states. Nashville, Tenn., George Peabody College for 
Teachers, 1932. c Unpublished thesis^ 

Unavailable for examination. Mentioned by Eleazer c below 3 
as a study of 56 textbooks, in all of which there was neglect 
of the Negro and his place in Southern culture. 

Carpenter, Marie Elizabeth. The treatment of the Negro in American 
history school textbooks; a comparison of changing textbook con¬ 
tent, 1826 to 1939, with developing scholarship in the history 
of the Negro in the United States. Menasha, ¥is., George Banta 
Pub. Co., c 1941. 137 p. E185.C2 

Study for doctoral thesis. Introduction on study of text¬ 
books re controversial issues, specifically the Negro; survey 
of historical scholarship and present trends in history writing 
relating to the Negro; analysis of textbooks, 19th century, 
early twentieth, and 1930*s as to treatment of the Negro. 

Lists of textbooks given, and statistical tables and charts 
on specific points, A final chapter of conclusions marks 
some improvements and recommends much more attention to well- 
founded presentation. 

Church, Alfred M e The study of China and Japan in American secondary 
schools: what is worth teaching and what is being taught. Cam¬ 
bridge, Mass., Harvard Univ., 1940° Unpub. MS., 395 p. 

Summary, "¥hat should Americans know about the Far East," in 
Harvard educational review , v. 10, Oct. 1940: 454-465« 

“ ~ L11.H3, v. 10 

Using five fields of interest selected by an analysis of 
significant books and articles, the author examined 85 recent 
social studies textbooks to discover space devoted to Far East, 
topics discussed and points of view expressed. Results were 
compared with courses of study, College Board examination ques¬ 
tions, and a test given a selected group of high school students. 
Data both quantitative and qualitative, with conclusions and 
recommendations. 

Counts, George S. Soviet version of American history. Public opinion 
quarterly (Princeton, N. J.) v. 10, no. 3, 1946: 321-328. 

4 HM261.A1P8, v. 10 

Analysis of The new history. 1789-1870 , current official 
text in Russian high schools, recently published to supplant 




128 


Counts, George S. (cont.) 

textbooks in use in 1943 which were out of step with Russian 
policy. A history of the non-Russian world, it has two 
chapters on America, which present a treatment in many points 
objective and friendly, but forced into a Marxian mould, em¬ 
phasizing the class struggle and the triumph of capitalism 
in its most unsavory aspects. The only authorities cited 
are Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin. 

Dickson, Thomas J. Critique on American school histories. Wash¬ 
ington, D. C., C1926. 12 1. E175.85.D55 

Address at Annual Convention, Military Order of the World 
War in Philadelphia in 1926, based on a reading of 52 Ameri- 
ican school histories (postwar). Long quotations and highly 
critical comments on inaccurate statements, most of which 
involve jingoism. The speaker was a retired lieut. colonel 
of the Chaplains’ Corps. 

Eleazer, Robert B. School books and racial antagonism, a study of 
omissions and inclusions that make for misunderstanding. 

Atlanta, Ga., Executive Committee, Conference on Education 
and Race Relations, 1937. 8 p. (3d ed.) El85.6l.E4 

Brief summary, by special topics relating to the Negro, 
of 20 American history textbooks, 14 civics texts and 38 
volumes of American literature for schools, all in use in 
the Southern states. Conclusions indicate extreme neglect 
and frequent wrong impressions given of the Negro. 

Gell, Kenneth. What American high school graduates should know about 
Canada. Cambridge, Harvard University, Graduate School of Edu¬ 
cation, 1944. 

Unpublished doctoral dissertation. 

Examination of 45 social studies textbooks, 9' geographies, 

18 American histories, 13 world and European histories, 5 texts 
in government and modern problems. Analysis by specific ques¬ 
tions, with statistical tables. 

Harbourt, John. World war in French, German, English and American 

secondary school textbooks, (in National Council for the Social 
Studies. First yearbook, Washington, 1931: 54-117) 

H62.N3 1931 

The author studied 16 American, 8 English, 12 German and 
4 French textbooks for treatment of such points as the be¬ 
ginning of the war, the invasion of Belgium, America in the 
war, the Peace Conference, the Treaty, internationalism and 
the League of Nations, giving statistical tables and summa¬ 
rizing trends by nations. The books used date from the early 
twenties to 1930, a number having been published when postwar 
rewriting in France and Germany was nearing completion. 


129 


Hauck, Arthur A. Some educational factors affecting the relations 
between Canada and the United States. Easton, Pa., 1932. 

100 p. E183.8.C2H29 

Study for doctorate, based on an informal test about knowl¬ 
edge of Canada and U.S.A. respectively, given to a thousand 
students in the two countries and covering the information 
gained from travel, newspapers, and reading as well as text¬ 
books; also on over 1500 compositions written in schools of 
the two countries about one another; finally on an examination 
of Canadian and American histories and geographies. Statis¬ 
tical summaries of results. 

Hayes, Carlton J. H. France, a nation of patriots. New York, Columbia 
Univ. Press, 1930. 437 p. DC34.H3 

One chapter of this study of French nationalism is devoted 
to the textbook question, regarding which the author takes a 
critical position, although he relates in some detail the 
campaign of the teachers for reform. Appendix I is a "Digest 
of typical textbooks in French schools for instruction in his¬ 
tory, morals and civics, geography and reading." Over 100 
books are listed, with annotations regarding their chauvinistic 
tendencies, in some cases quotations. The list includes a 
good many outdated works, some of which had been revised in 
the teachers’ campaign. 

Kendig-Gill, Isabelle. War and peace in United States history text¬ 
books. New York, National Council for Prevention of War, 1923. 
(Pamphlet 2 of the "Educational series" of 3 pamphlets) 

DCE 

An analysis of 31 elementary and secondary school history 
textbooks, from four standpoints: treatment of war, treatment 
of peace efforts of the U.S., attitude toward other nations 
and races; First World War. Passages are quoted, and results 
tabulated. The conclusion was that 25 per cent of space went 
to accounts, usually glorified, of war. This was the first 
American study identified with the international movement for 
textbook revision. 

Leavell, U. S 0 (Unpublished survey, prepared for the Tennessee Dept, 
of Education.) Nashville, Tenn., George Peabody College for 
Teachers, 193? 

Unavailable for examination. Mentioned by Eleazer as an 
analysis of 20 textbooks in history, with the conclusion that 
they were too limited in treatment of the Negro to allow chil¬ 
dren "an adequate basis for judgment and the development of a 
wholesome attitude." 


130 


Lew, Timothy T. China in American school text-books, Chinese social 
and political science review (Peking) v. 7, July, 1923. special 
suppl. H8.C5, v. 7 

By the former Dean of the Graduate School of Education, 
Government Teachers’ College of Peking. Based on an investi¬ 
gation made in 1917 of the most widely used American history 
and geography textbooks. Long quotations on significant 
points, with ’’critical but conservative” estimate of the 
treatment accorded China, and analysis of the trends of thought 
developed by pupils. Conclusions point to neglect and misin¬ 
terpretation in history, and indifference in geography. 

Lutz, Paul E. Nationalism in German history textbooks after the war. 
Historical outlook (Philadelphia) v. 20, Oct. 1929: 273-279. 

D16.3.S65, v. 20 

After an extended review of the Dotation Carnegie EnquSte . 
the report of the History Teachers’ Association of Germany, 
Deutschland im Lichte auslandischer Schulbiicher der Nachkrieg - 

zeit (Pinnow), and Dr. Arnold Reimann’s report on German his¬ 

tory textbooks to the Oslo Conference of Historians—the last 
two written in protest against what the Germans considered 
the unfair findings of the Carnegie study—the author gives 
his own analysis of the subject of nationalism as treated in 
German history textbooks, with statistics, and lengthy quo¬ 
tations. His conclusions are that the German criticisms of 
the Carnegie Inquiry are valid—if the Inquiry had been pre¬ 
pared in 1929, German historians would not have been expected 
to accept the war guilt clause in the Treaty of Versailles 
without protest. He finds, however, that ”If German textbook 
writers were less dominated by the notion that history for 
German children must have a strictly German orientation, German 
boys and girls would be more likely to develop a world point 
of view.” 

MacCracken, John H. High school textbooks in government: a study in 
substance of doctrine. Educational record (Washington) v. 14, 

Apr. 1933: 162-182. LII.E 46 , v. 14 

Study of 35 widely used textbooks on government (civics). 

An introduction expresses approval of findings—’’view of these 
new books is that government is made for man, not man for the 
government... such a philosophy of government smooths the road 
to a consideration of the League of Nations.” The author then 
lists books and digests their teaching on the League of Nations 
and international relations, giving chapter .titles and sub¬ 
titles, with a few evaluative comments. 




131 


Miller, Charles Grant, The poisoned loving-cupj United States school 
histories falsified through pro-British propaganda in sweet name 
of amity. Chicago, National Historical Society, 1928. 208 p. 

E175.S5.M62 

Leading expose, from the anti-revisionist angle, of the 
controversy in the early ’twenties over the recently revised 
or newly written school histories after the war, in which there 
appeared objective treatment of the American Revolution. The 
author had previously published articles in the Hearst papers, 
attacking such writing as un-American, and his views had re¬ 
ceived the support of a number of patriotic societies and re¬ 
sulted in legislation against certain texts. In this book 
he reviews ten books, the so-called ’’Treason texts,” and the 
movement for their suppression. 

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Anti- 
Negro propaganda in school textbooks. New York, 1939. 18 p. 

E185.6l.N23 

Brief pamphlet outlining the problem of the treatment of 
the Negro in school histories, with sample analyses of the 
"false and prejudiced” pictures given of the slavery period 
and the Reconstruction, with suggestions for action to be 
taken by the NAACP local branches, and a partial list of books 
to be examined, as ’’distorting the role of the Negro citizen 
in American life, either through acts of omission or commission." 

Peake, Cyrus H. Nationalism and education In modern China. New York, 
Columbia University Press, 1932. 240 p. LA1131.P4 

This study includes a chapter on "Nationalism and Chinese 
textbooks,” p. 97-119, and an Appendix, "A digest of textbooks 
used in the Mass Education Movement and in the primary and 
middle schools from 1905 to 1929,” p. 159-194. The digest 
consists of brief descriptive notes on the listed works, point- 
. ing out nationalistic tendencies. 

Perpinan, Jestis E. The Philippine islands in American school text¬ 
books. Journal of experimental education (Madison, Wis.) v. 2, 
June, 1934: 366-393. DS656.P4, v. 2 

Examination of 85 histories, 65 geographies, 56 textbooks 
in economics, sociology and civics, mostly secondary school 
level. Divided into sections for the three disciplines, 
quantitative data tabulated by special topics, followed by 
qualitative analyses, mentioning authors and quoting at some 
length. Bibliography. 

Pierce, Bessie L. Civic attitudes in American school textbooks. 

Chicago, Ill., The University of Chicago Press, 1930. 297 p. 

(Studies in the making of citizens) H62.P47 

"List of books analyzed": p. 257-282. 


132 


Pierce, Bessie L. (cont.) 

A significant study, in the interests of the social sciences 
and the education of American children as members of world 
society. The author analyzed 97 histories, 67 civics texts, 

45 geographies, 109 readers, some language texts, and 60 music 
books, all selected from those most widely in use in public 
schools, with the purpose of determining what attitudes might 
be developed by pupils and what opinions they might form about 
foreign countries and America in relation to the rest of the 
world. Objective presentation, using many representative 
identified quotations. 

(See also Dr. Pierce’s studies in Section 2) 

Reddick, Lawrence D. Racial attitudes in American history textbooks 

of the South. Journal of Negro history (Washington, D. C.) v. 19, 
July, 1934: 225-265. E185.JS6, v. 19 

Study of the textbooks used in elementary and secondary 
schools, both white and Negro, of the South. Five topics are 
discussed, The picture of slavery. Anti-slavery and abolition, 
The Negro in the Reconstruction, ’’Progress” since emancipation, 
The Negro as a soldier. Approach a non-statistical objective 
recording and analysis, quoting identified texts. 

Robey, Ralph West. c Abstracts of social science textbooks. 3 New York, 
National Association of Manufacturers, 1941• Looseleaf. 

Z7161.R6 1941 

Prof. Robey of Columbia University, at the request of the 
N.A.M., supervised an exhaustive survey of secondary school 
social science textbooks to illustrate ’’the attitudes or points 
of view presented by the respective authors with respect to 
the private enterprise system or the traditional governmental 
system of the United States, the individual States, or political 
subdivisions thereof.” With three colleagues, of diversified 
political leanings, Prof. Robey examined 563 texts, and pre¬ 
sented separate abstracts for each, involving no appraisal, 
but indicating the coverage of each work and illustrating by 
quotations of varying length the point of view and level of 
discussion on the two points in question. Each abstract is 
printed separately, with at the top of the sheet a statement 
of the policies of the N.A.M. regarding its usage. 

The question was entirely one of domestic issues, and no 
international significances are attached. 

Taft, Donald R. Historical textbooks and international differences. 
Chicago, Association for Peace Education, 1925. 22 p. 

DCE 

Address delivered at Conference on the Teaching of History, 
held under the auspices of the Association for Peace Education 
and two Chicago women's organizations. Results of a comparative 


133 


Taft, Donald R. (cont 0 ) 

study of school history textbooks from France, Germany, the 
United States and Mexico, using illustrative charts showing 
parallel treatment of certain controversial events in French 
and German, and in illiberal and liberal American textbooks, 
with summaries and long quotations., Variations in the 35 
American textbooks examined proved almost as wide as those 
in the French and German., Evidences of nationalism found 
throughout, but tendency toward improvement in the later 
textso 

The same material was used in an address delivered in 1925 
at the Conference for the Cause and Cure of War, Washington. 
( Report , 1925, p, 310-323) JX1933 1925 

-— History textbooks and truth. Association of History Teachers 

of the Middle States Council and Maryland, Proceedings (Menasha, 
Wis.) no, 24, 1926 ; 26-33. Dl6,3.A23 1926 

An address summarizing his study CEntry above) in general 
terms. As ideals of truth in writing of historical texts, 
five points are made: 1, Truth the primary, not a secondary 
aim; 2. War to be treated as a complex product of many changing 
conditions, of which political leadership is but one; 3. State¬ 
ments to be not only not false but representative; 4° Contro¬ 
versial questions to be treated as controversies; 5. No im¬ 
portant facts to be omitted, 

Ullrich, Laura F,, chairman . Report of the Committee on U, S. history 
textbooks used in the U„ S, schools, (in American Association 
of University Women, 6th National Congress, 1929» Proceedings. 
Washington, 1929; 69-83,) DCE 

The examination of the 60 most widely used history textbooks 
was undertaken in 1926 by the A,A,U,W„ and finished with fi¬ 
nancial aid from the World Federation of Education Associations. 
40 readers sent in reports giving statistics in percentages 
of the proportion of each book devoted to military history, 
glorification of war, political, social and economic history, 
and whether the texts contained braggadocio, were fair to 
other nations, historically accurate, and what attitudes were 
expressed toward the League of Nations, Each report added to 
its statistics a brief statement of criticism covering the 
points, 

This report was frequently referred to in international 
considerations. 

Walworth, Arthur C. School histories at war, a study of the treat¬ 
ment of our wars in the secondary school history books of the 
United States and in those of its former enemies, Cambridge, 
Mass., Harvard University Press, 1938, 92 p, E175.W29 





134 


Walworth, Arthur C. (cont.) 

Study contrasting parallel treatment of incidents in 
American wars, covering 9 American, 4 Canadian, 7 British, 

2 Mexican, 4 Spanish and 7 German histories in current use, 
with the aim of pointing out departures from fairness and 
objectivity. No conclusions are attempted. The introduc¬ 
tion, a theoretical essay on sources of international mis¬ 
understanding acquired through education, is by Arthur M. 

Schlesinger. 

Webb, Elizabeth Yates. Illustrations of objective presentation of 
controversial issues in the history of United States foreign 
relations. Washington, American Council on Education, 1937. 
(Ms.) 

Study prepared for the Institute of Intellectual Co¬ 
operation's search for model passages, covering 12 high 
school American history textbooks in respect to five spe¬ 
cific topics. Sections on each topic, with evaluative com^ 
ment and quotations. A general introduction discusses the 
controversy over Revolutionary War history of the 8 20* s and 
the present position in history writing. The author con¬ 
cludes that the blame for the nationalistic histories of the 
first postwar period must be laid to "the loss of balance 
of the historians themselves," and while admitting that there 
has been a tremendous improvement, wonders whether histories 
"would continue to be honest and intelligent in another 
emotional crisis." 

Wilson, Howard E. Intergroup relations in teaching materials. 
Educational record (Washington) v. 28, 194114-121. 

L11.E46, V. 28 

Summary of a study soon to be published by the American 
Council on Education, made with the aid of a grant from the 
National Council of Christians and Jews. It comprises an 
analysis of 267 textbooks in social studies for elementary 
and secondary schools, as well as some college manuals, 
courses of study, and questionnaires sent to over 300 teachers 
and consultations with leaders of minority groups, psychol¬ 
ogists, sociologists, etc. The approach, like other studies 
of the American Council, is by a list of topics, and works 
are appraised both quantitatively and qualitatively, with 
suggestions for lines of improvement. 


135 


2. Studies of the Problem 


Bibliography . 

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Library . History 
teaching and school text-books in relation to international 
understanding; select list of books, pamphlets, and period¬ 
ical articles. Comp, by M. Alice Matthews. Washington, 

1931. 14 p. (Heading list no. 29) Z5814.H58C2 

Bibliography covering works mainly of the ^O's, and 
including a few of the conspicuous foreign studies. Chief 
attention is to the controversy over the history of the 
American Revolution in United States school textbooks. 

Note ; Miss Matthews has also compiled two reading lists on 
the broader subject of Education for world peace , one by this 
title, with subtitle, "The study and teaching of international 
relations'* (Reading List no. 33, Rev. June 30, 1936, 37 p.), 
and Peace education (Reading List no. 38, May 22, 1939? 24 p.) 
The latter covers source material for teachers to use in sup¬ 
plementing textbooks, as well as goodwill books for children. 

On both education for world peace and the revision of text¬ 
books, the most comprehensive guide to periodical literature 
is the Education index , published cumulatively by the H. W. 
Wilson Co., New York. 


Beale, Howard K. Are American teachers free? An analysis of re¬ 
straints upon the freedom of teaching in American schools. 

New York, Scribner, 1936. 855 p. (Report of the Commission 

on the Social Studies, American Historical Association. Pt. 
XII) LA210.B4 

In this detailed study Chapter XI, "Textbooks," (p. 26l- 
319) summarizes the legislation from the 18th century to 
the present and discusses special pressure group attacks 
on schoolbooks. In regard to the "pro-British" controversy 
of the J 20's the author cites specific historians and quotes 
the revisions of certain passages which they were forced to 
make in order to have their books accepted in the schools. 

He comments discouragedly that the historians knew what was 
true and wanted to say it, but had to compromise to get by 
school boards. 


Brudney, Victor. Legislative regulation of the social studies in 

secondary schools. (In 9th Yearbook of school law. Washington 
American Council on Education, 1941: 140-176.) 

LB2514•^4 1941 








136 


Brudney, Victor. (cont.) 

A documented review of legislation regulating courses to 
be taught, without reference to textbooks. Tables by states, 
showing requirements and prohibitions. 

”In this country the states, rather than the national gov¬ 
ernment, direct the operation of public education. During 
the last two decades increasing legislative regulation of 
the secondary school course of study has reflected a growing 
influence by non-professional sources. ...It is debatable 
whether organized pressure groups outside the school system 
are best equipped for the task of determining the social 
studies curriculum.” 

Carr, William G. Education for world-citizenship. Stanford Uni¬ 
versity, Calif., Stanford Univ. Press, 1928. 225 p. 

LC1091.C3 

This study, the author of which is now assistant secretary 
of the N.E. A. and a leader in the American movement for 
education in international understanding, was one of the 
pioneer surveys of the subject. It includes a discussion 
of militarized textbooks in history in the chapter on ”His- 
tory and world-citizenship.” 

Committee on American History in Schools and Colleges. American 
history in schools and colleges; the report of the Committee 
on American History in Schools and Colleges of the American 
Historical Association, the Mississippi Valley Historical 
Association, the National Council for the Social Studies. 

Edgar B. Wesley, director. New York, Macmillan, 1944. 146 p. 

E175.8.C6 

In view of a current controversy on American history 
teaching the American Historical Association in 1942 appointed 
a committee to make brief constructive suggestions, and the 
Mississippi Valley Historical Association in 1943 asked a 
committee to prepare a descriptive report, analysing the sit¬ 
uation, stating principles, and making specific recommenda¬ 
tions. The two committees were joined with the cooperation 
of the National Council for the Social Studies. The study 
made recognizes that American history cannot be studied or 
taught in isolation from the more inclusive currents of world 
history and from the other disciplines within the social science 
field. It presents a general survey of the teaching of his¬ 
tory in relation to the other sciences, with an appendix giv¬ 
ing a tabulated score of a test on understanding of American 
economic, social and political—particularly international- 
history by large groups of high school and college students, 
selected adults and teachers. 


137 


Falnes, Oscar J. International revision of history textbooks par¬ 
ticularly as affected by Scandinavian scholars. School and 
society (New York) v. 48 , Aug. 20, 1938; 225-230. 

An account of the work in textbook revision accomplished 
by the "Norden" Associations. L11.S36, v. 48 

Hart, Albert Bushnell. School books and international prejudices. 

New York, American Association for International Conciliation, 
1911. 13 p. (international conciliation, no. 38) 

JX1907.A8 no. 38 

A celebrated essay, in which one of the leading American 
historians urged impartiality in history writing. Three chief 
influences for international understanding were, he said, 
newspapers, travel, and "the internationalization of men of 
learning in their world-congresses." ’'One of the chief ob¬ 
stacles in the way of a better international understanding 
is the patriotic historian.” "Lurid pictures of the past” 
in school textbooks have been because they were written by 
people who knew very little history. The bulk of the arti¬ 
cle discusses anti-British tendencies in American textbooks, 
and the author refers to the "American belief that there is 
no just and popular government except a democracy of the 
American type.” 

Johnson, Henry. Teaching of history in elementary and secondary 
schools, with applications to allied studies. Rev. ed. New 
York, Macmillan, 1940. 467 p. LB1582.U6J6 1940 

The first edition of this well-known and much-quoted book 
was published in 1915. In Chap, III (p. 53-85) the author 
reviews the beginnings of the scientific spirit in history 
writing, which began in the late 19th century with the Her- 
bartians in Switzerland, Zeller in Germany, and particularly 
dated from the French Prof, Seignobos' program for boys’ 
schools, drafted in 1902, which was "an approach to world 
history guided by high ideals of scholarship, but it was a 
provincial approach." (p. 55-6) 

Dr. Johnson carries his review through the wartime and 
postwar developments in Europe, England and the United States. 
In the latter, he points to "reaction," "social studies chaos." 

The Manufacturers' Association abstracts textbooks. Social education 
(Washington) v. 5> Feb. 1941s 134-140. H62.A1S6, v, 5 

An article on a textbook controversy, including three doc¬ 
uments from the press, the announcement of an abstracting 
process, under the auspices of the N.A.M. (Dec. 11, 1940) 
the statement questioning the possibilities of bias in such 
abstracts signed by 14 Harvard professors of the Graduate 
School of Education, and the explanation of the project 


138 


The Manufacturers 1 Association abstracts textbooks. (cont.) 

published in reply to the Harvard statement (Jan. 2, 1941) 
by the N.A.M. 800 public school textbooks were to be ab¬ 
stracted, under the direction of a Columbia University pro¬ 
cessor of banking (Ralph W. Robey)to determine whether any 
works in history, civics, sociology and economics might be 
found ’’prejudicial to our form of government, our society, 
or to the system of free enterprise.” The N.A.M. claimed 
that the abstracts would be perfectly impartial. They were 
to be kept by the Association in mimeographed form, avail¬ 
able for examination by interested parties. Chief volumes 
under attack were the social studies series by Harold Rugg. 

National Council for the Social Studies. Control of social studies 
textbooksj a review of the activities of special interest groups 
with suggestions of what educators can do. Issued by the National 
Council for the Social Studies in cooperation with the Research 
division of the National Education Association of the United 
States. Washington, D. C., 1941. 66 p. Processed. 

H62.N32 

’’References on selection and control of textbooks”: 7 p. 
inserted at end. 

Account of non-legislative attempts in the past to influence 
the selection and elimination of textbooks, with a summary of 
legislation. The first two parts, reviewing legislative and 
non-legislative action, are based largely on the studies by 
Dr. Pierce, 1927 and 1933, bringing her material up to date 
in brief. Part 3 summarizes certain specific cases of the 
past which had received wide publicity and gives, in brief 
statements from school officials, accounts of recent typical 
cases in unnamed communities. 

The pamphlet was issued as part of a packet which included 
also a 7-page bibliography on the subject, a summary of sug¬ 
gestions on textbook selection, and reprints of selected arti¬ 
cles and statements relating to the general topic. 

- Education for international understanding in American schools: 

suggestions and recommendations. Washington, National Education 
Association, 1948. 241 p. 

This new study was prepared by the National Council in col¬ 
laboration with two other committees of the N.E.A., the Com¬ 
mittee on International Relations and the Association for 
Supervision and Curriculum Development. Like most of the work 
of the N.E.A., it is concerned with courses, teacher training 
and new educational materials rather than with choice of text¬ 
books. It includes an important 18-page bibliography of Amer¬ 
ican writings on education for international understanding. 



139 


National Council for the Social Studies. Citizens for a new world, 
ed. by Erling M. Hunt. 14th yearbook, 1943. Washington, 1943. 

186 p. H62.N3 1943 

A chapter on ”International relations for secondary schools,” 
by Hilda M. Watters, suggests some desirable units of subject 
matter, including textbooks, which stress world unity. 

- The study and teaching of American history, ed. by Richard 

E. Thursfield. 17th yearbook. Washington, 1946 . 442 p. 

H62.N3 1946 

This symposium is designed to aid classroom teachers in 
desirable procedures for teaching to prepare students for a 
role in world society, stressing international aspects in 
American history. Section I, ”The function of American his¬ 
tory in one world,” includes ’’Developing desirable attitudes,” 
by William Van Til (pp„ 64-76), ’’Developing the ability to 
think reasonably: a primary aim for American history,” by 
R. E. Thursfield (pp. 77-93). The latter is a discussion of 
tendencies in American instruction toward historical truth, 
with comment on some of the harmless and harmful legends and 
traditions which persist in schoolbooks. 

Other sections of interest in the yearbook are ’’Newer in¬ 
terpretations of American history,” by Carlton Qualey (pp. 103- 
120 ), bibliographical commentary on new studies, most of 
which involve America's international relations, and ”Re- 
lation of American history to the other social studies,” 
by Erling M. Hunt (pp. 173-191), which discusses trends in 
teaching American history as related to world history and 
to international institutions. 

National Society for the Study of Education, U.S.A. 36th yearbook, 
1937. Pt. II. International understanding through the public 
school curriculum, ed 0 by I. L. Kandel and G. M. Whipple 0 
Bloomington, Ill.,' Public School Pub, Co., 1937 . 406 p. 

LB5.N25 1937 

At a meeting of the Board of Directors, Feb. 1933, in 
Minneapolis, a resolution on moral disarmament and inter¬ 
national civics was passed, as one outcome of the Dis¬ 
armament Conference. The yearbook was authorized. In its 
publication, four years later, the original proposal by Dr. 
Kandel for an analysis of existing educational materials, 
especially textbooks, to discover what was available for 
stressing international vs. narrowly national understandings 
and attitudes, was widened to include an account of the way 
materials might be improved and information about movements 
outside the classroom. 

Of chief interest ar<?i ’’History in the elementary and 
junior hi gh schools, " by K. Augusta Sutton, chap. XII, 
pp. 101-108j ’’History in the senior high schools,” by Erling 


140 


National Society for the Study of Education, U.S.A. (cont.) 

M. Hunt, chap. XIII, p. 109-118, and a bibliographical arti¬ 
cle, "Teaching aids and materials," by Margaret Kialy, which 
includes lists of textbooks, periodical articles on inter¬ 
nationalism in teaching, and a list of cooperating organi¬ 
zations. 

Dr. Hunt's discursive essay deplores the fact that in 
the United States "Ideals have borne little relation to 
practice and less to achievement. Most of our teaching has 
remained nationalistic." He finds teaching of current events 
superficial, and accuses textbooks of containing many mis¬ 
interpretations and wrong attitudes. 

Note : The National Society for the Study of Education is the 
successor of the National Herbart Society, organized in 1894 
for the scientific study of educational problems. Its very 
influential yearbooks have included surveys of the teaching 
of history (1902, pt. lj 1903, pt. l) the social studies (1923, 
pt. 2) and geography (1902, pt. 2; 1933). 

Nevins, Allan. To take the poison out of textbooks; a delicate task 
is imposed upon scholars in all countries if the One World idea 
is to prosper. New York Times magazine, Feb. 23, 1947: 7, 63- 

64 . AP2.N6567 1947 

An article by one of America's leading historians on the 
UNESCO program, emphasizing the difficulties faced by an 
international organization in any effort to overcome national 
biases. The role of UNESCO must be a background one, stimu¬ 
lating national efforts toward the positive goal of introducing 
"wholesome, constructive elements" that make for a new age of 
international cooperation. 

Pierce, Bessie L. Public opinion and the teaching of history in the 
United States. New York, A. A. Knopf, 1926. 380 p. 

E175.8.P62 

Bibliography: p. 337-354- 

Prepared as a doctoral thesis. First important, closely 
documented study of the attempts in America to control teach¬ 
ing of history in the public schools, from early colonial times 
through the postwar patriotic efforts against "un-Americanism" 
in the early '20's. Part I is a detailed account of legislative 
measures, and part II of the activities of propagandist agen¬ 
cies, with particular attention—almost a third of the book— 
to the postwar attack on revisionist historians as pro-British 
and "unpatriotic." 


141 


Pierce, Bessie L. Citizens 5 organizations and the civic training 
of youth. New York, Scribner, 1933. 428 p. (Report of the 
Commission on the Social Studies, American Historical Asso¬ 
ciation. pt. Ill) JK1759 .P45 

One of the studies forming the Report of the Committee 
for the Social. Studies of the American Historical Association. 
Dr. Pierce presents a systematic survey of unofficial organi¬ 
zations which exert influence on youth, including patriotic, 
military, peace, fraternal, religious and racial societies, 
youth movements, business and labor groups, etc. Much in¬ 
cidental material touches on the rewriting of textbooks, 
mainly the work of the peace associations toward preparation 
of books teaching world ideals and the efforts of the conser¬ 
vatives against "un-Americanism.” 

- The school and the spirit of nationalism. American Academy 

of Political and Social Science. Annals (Philadelphia) v. 175, 
Sept. 1934: 117-122. H1.A4, v. 175 

Descriptive essay on the nationalist spirit in American 
history teaching from colonial days to the present, with brief 
comment on the efforts toward internationalism of progressive 
groups. The material is covered in greater detail in the 
other studies by this author. 

Quillen, I. James. Textbook improvement and international under¬ 
standing. Washington, American Council on Education, 1948. 

78 p. 

Prepared for the Committee on International Education and 
Cultural Relations of the American Council on Education and 
the United States National Commission for UNESCO. Dr. Quillen 
has surveyed the history of action in textbook revision, both 
abroad and in the United States, and reviewed at length the 
American analyses of textbooks. Three appendixes give recom¬ 
mendations for action in the United States, recommendations 
for action by UNESCO, and a model plan for textbook-analysis 
projects. The pamphlet ends with a bibliography of books 
and pamphlets, mostly American, and articles in American peri¬ 
odicals . 

Tryon, Rolla M. The social sciences as school subjects. New York, 
Scribner, 1935. 541 p. (Report of the Commission on the Social 

Studies, American Historical Association, pt. XI) 

H62.T7 

The first chapter of this report reviews the work and in¬ 
fluence of important national commissions on social studies, 
and the second chapter covers changing content in history 
courses from before i860 to the present, with increasing em¬ 
phasis on the presentation of history in relation to its in¬ 
ternational implications and its connection with economics, 



Tryon, Rolla M. (cont.) 

sociology and the other social sciences. Many statistical 
surveys are mentioned. The question of school textbook re¬ 
vision in the interests of peace is not directly referred 
to. 

Zook, George F. International intellectual cooperation., Educational 
record (Washington), v. 20, Oct. 1939; 508-535. 

L11.E46, v. 20 

The President of the American Council on Education, re¬ 
turning from the last annual meeting of the International 
Committee on Intellectual Cooperation in the summer of 1939, 
reviewed the work done by the Committee and deplored the 
negative role played by the United States. Regarding the 
revision of textbooks, he wrote: "With the exception of an 
unprinted report on ’Illustrations of objective presentation 
of controversial issues in the history of the United States 
foreign relations,' c Webb 3 little has ever been done in this 
field in the United States.” He suggested that the strong 
voluntary associations of scholars and teachers might, like 
those in European countries, have brought pressure to bear 
for concrete accomplishments, and stated: "We are decidedly 
behind a number of other countries in attention to this 
method" of bringing about international good will. 


143 


IV. BASIC DOCUMENTS 


A. 


RESOLUTION 

of the International Committee for Intellectual Co-operation 
adopted at its Vlth Plenary Session - July 1925 
(Casares Resolution) 


The Committee on Intellectual Co-operation, consider¬ 
ing that one of the most effective methods of bringing about 
the intellectual rapprochement of peoples would be to delete 
or modify passages in school text-books of a nature to convey 
to the young wrong impressions leading to an essential mis- 
undertanding of other countries; 

Being convinced that it will be unable to postpone for 
long the consideration of this problem, which has been brought 
before it since its creation in the form of suggestions both 
from its own members and from outside, and realising at the 
same time the difficulties which would attend any attempt to 
undertake an enterprise of this kind on a large scale; 

Request the co-operation of the national committees in 
trying, on a limited scale in the first instance, the follow¬ 
ing procedure, whose extreme elasticity seems of a nature to 
obviate any risk of wounding national susceptibilities: 

(a) When a National Committee thinks it desirable 
that a foreign text concerning its country and intended 
for use in schools should be amended for the reason 
indicated in the present resolution, it shall make a 
request to this effect to the National Committee of the 
country where the text is in use, at the same time sub¬ 
mitting, if necessary, a draft emendation on the desired 
lines, together with a brief statement of the reasons; 

(b) National Committees, on receiving a request of 
this kind, shall decide in the first instance whether the 
request should be accepted and shall then determine 
what representations of a friendly and private nature, 

if any, should be made to the authors or publishers with 
a view to the proposed emendation. If these representa¬ 
tions are successful, the Committee shall notify the 
National Committee making the application and the Inter¬ 
national Committee; if not, it shall not be obliged to 
give any explanation either of the reasons for its fail¬ 
ure or of its own refusal to take action; 


144 


(c) Requests for emendation shall refer exclusively 
to questions of definitely established fact regarding 
the geography or civilization of a country, its material 
conditions of life, natural resources, customs of the 
inhabitants, scientific, artistic and economic develop¬ 
ment, contribution to international culture and the wel¬ 
fare of humanity, etc. 

It is strictly forbidden to make or accept applica¬ 
tions for emendation referring to personal views of a 
moral, political or religious order 5 

(d) All the National Committees will at the same time 
be requested to specify the publications most suitable for 
giving foreigners a knowledge of the history, civilization 
and present position of their country. 


145 


B. 


RESOLUTIONS 
adopted by the 

International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation 

at its XIVth Plenary Session - July 1932 
(Casares Resolution, Final Text) 

I 

The International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation, 

Noting a proposal submitted by the Sub-Committee of 
Experts for the Instruction of Youth in the Aims of the League 
of Nations, agrees with the Sub-Committee that the proposal 
of M. Casares indicates a procedure for the revision of 
school text-books which might forthwith be followed more spe¬ 
cifically and extensively (Document A„ 24, 1925, XII, page 
6, IV). 

On the basis of this text, the International Committee 
once more appeals to the good offices of the National Com¬ 
mittees, which have already been so often accorded, and pro¬ 
poses the following methods 

(a) The National Committee’s field of survey should 
include not only history text-books, but text-books on the 
history of civilization, on geography, on civics and morals, 
ethnographical maps, and anthologies and readers used both 
in public and in private education„ 

(b) Whenever a National Committee has to request the 
correction of errors of fact or the rectification of opinions 
revealing a spirit of animosity towards foreign nations, or 
of comments such as intentionally plane a nation in an unfa¬ 
vorable light, it shall apply direct to the National Committee 
of the country in which the work in. question is in use. Every 
request shall be accompanied by textual quotations. 

(c) National Committees should invariably reply to all 
requests for correction even when they do not deem it advis¬ 
able to take action. 

(d) National Committees are requested to be good enough 

to forward a copy of all such requests, and the replies thereto, 
to the International Institute of Intellectual Co-operation. 

(e) The International Committee on Intellectual Co-opera¬ 
tion is prepared, whenever two National Committees fail to 
agree, to place itself at their disposal as mediator, with a 
view to arriving at a friendly solution. 


146 


(f) The International Committee on Intellectual 
Co-operation shall request the National Committees to commu¬ 
nicate to it a list of the text-books most generally 
employed in their respective countries. National Committees 
should also at the same time specify the methods followed in 
their country for the selection of school-books. 

(g) The National Committees of each country are also 
requested to bring to the notice of the International Com¬ 
mittee any text-books in use in other countries which merit, 
in their opinion, special commendation. The Committee, if 
it deems it advisable, may also bring them to the notice of 
the other National Committees. 

II 

The International Gommittee on Intellectual Co-operation 
is of the opinion that the League of Nations should recommend 
to the Governments that they assure themselves that the text¬ 
books in use in their country contain no passages prejudiced 
to mutual understanding between nations. 

Without wishing to intervene in any manner whatsoever 
in questions concerning teaching within the different countries, 
it considers itself justified in recommending the following 
measures, among which a choice may be made: 

(a) In countries where the choice of school text-books is 
a matter for decision by the Government, the latter shall 
entrust a committee or official organization with the duty of 
ensuring that none but school-books containing no passages of 
a nature to prejudice international goodwill shall be used; 

(b) In countries where the choice of school text-books 
does not concern the Government, this choice shall be entrusted 
to groups of teachers, under the responsibility of the school 
authorities. 

The Committee is further of the opinion that educational 
museums and national centres of educational documentation 
should possess collections of instructional text-books com¬ 
patible with the lofty spirit in which educators should con¬ 
ceive their duties. 


Ill 

The International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation, 
after t ak i n g cognizance of the results obtained by the col¬ 
laboration of regional groups such as the Scandinavian asso¬ 
ciation "Norden", or of national branches of the major 


147 


international associations, such as the International Federa¬ 
tion of Teachers’ Associations, to mention but two examples, 
is of the opinion that: 

The national branches of the major international asso¬ 
ciations concerned with educational questions should be 
invited to place themselves directly in touch one with the 
other with a view to obtaining the revision of school text¬ 
books which are not inspired by a spirit of mutual under¬ 
standing, and thus exercise an immediate influence on the 
manner in which the history of their respective nations is 
treated. 


IV 

The International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation 
examined the proposal formulated in 1930 by the Sub-Committee 
of Experts for the Instruction of Youth in the Aims of the 
League of Nations that, with the consent of the Governments, 
an inquiry should be undertaken regarding school text-books 
used for instruction in history and geography, ethnographical 
maps, school text-books used for instruction in civics and 
morals, the history of civilization, anthologies and readers 
used in the various countries. 

Noting that various investigations in this connection 
are proceeding or contemplated and that, moreover, the Inter¬ 
national Institute of Intellectual Co-operation had already 
approached the Governments regarding the drawing up of a 
documentary report which it submitted to the Committee: 

The International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation 
recommends that, pending the receipt of information on the 
results of the unofficial action at present being taken or 
contemplated, the International Institute should continue to 
collect documentary material concerning this question for 
communication to the different Governments. 

V 

The International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation, 
desiring to call attention to the importance attaching to the 
teaching of history in connection with the training of rising 
generations in a spirit of peace and goodwill. 

Decides to examine the means of promoting, in the differ¬ 
ent countries, the compilation of text—books as well as his¬ 
torical and literary readers conceived in this spirit and, 
while scientifically accurate, of a nature to further inter¬ 
national understanding. 



148 


VI 

The International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation, 

Considering that a more comprehensive solution of the 
problem of the revision of school text-books necessitates a 
technical study of the psychological influence exercised by 
these text-books on the minds of the pupils. 

Expresses the wish that this study be undertaken and the 
results broughtto the notice of educators. 

VII 

The International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation 
is of the opinion that it would be .an advantage to constitute 
a collection of the school text-books envisaged in the present 
report and the more generally used in the different countries 
and, for this purpose, to obtain the collaboration of compe¬ 
tent bodies, such as the Committee for the Teaching of History 
of the International Committee of Historical Sciences. These 
organizations might, in their respective countries, see that 
this collection is constituted and kept up to date and place 
it at the disposal of the International Committee on Intellec¬ 
tual Co-operation. 


149 


C. 


DECLARATION ON THE TEACHING OF HISTORY: 

(REVISION OF SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS) 
adopted by the General Assembly of the League of Nations 
October 2, 1937 


The undersigned plenipotentiaries in the name of their 
respective Governments: 

Desirous of strengthening and developing the good relations 
uniting them with other countries; 

Convinced that those relations will be further strengthened if 
the younger generation in every country is given a wider knowledge 
of the history of other nations; 

Realising the necessity of obviating the dangers that may 
arise through the tendentious presentation of certain historical 
events in school textbooks: 

Declare that they agree, each for its own part, upon the follow¬ 
ing principles: 

1. It is desirable that the attention of the competent author¬ 
ities in every country, and of authors of school textbooks, should 
be drawn to the expediency: 

(a) Of assigning as large a place as possible to the 

history of other nations; 

(b) Of giving prominence, in the teaching of world 

history, to facts calculated to bring about a realisation 

of the interdependence of nations. 

2. It is desirable that every Government should endeavour 

to ascertain by what means, more especially in connection with the 
choice of schoolbooks, school-children may be put on their guard 
against all such allegations and interpretations as might arouse 
unjust prejudices against other nations. 

3. It is desirable that in every country a committee comr- 
posed of members of the teaching profession, including history 
teachers, should be set up by the national committee on intel¬ 
lectual co-operation, where such exists, in collaboration with 
other qualified bodies. 

The committees so constituted would be empowered to co-operate 
among themselves, and it would in any case be their function to 
study the questions contemplated in the present declaration and to 


150 


suggest solutions to the competent national authorities or 
organizations. They would, in particular, be empowered, 
should they think the revision of school textbooks neces¬ 
sary, to follow the procedure provided for in the resolution 
adopted on July 29th, 1925, by the International Committee 
on Intellectual Co-operation, on the proposal of M. Casares, 
the recommendations of which were confirmed and amplified 
in 1932 and 1933 by the International Committee on Intellec¬ 
tual Co-operation and approved by the Assembly of the League 
of Nations. 

4. The present Declaration, the French and English 
texts of which are equally authentic, shall bear this day's 
date and shall be open for signature on behalf of any Member 
of the League of Nations or of any non-member State to which 
a draft of the said Declaration has been communicated. 

5. The present Declaration shall be registered by the 
Secretary-General of the League of Nations when it has 
received two signatures, on which date it shall come into 
force. 


6. The Secretary-General of the League of Nations shall 
notify the Members of the League of Nations and the non-member 
States mentioned in paragraph 4 of the signatures received. 


Done at Geneva on October 2nd, 1937, in a single copy, 
which shall be deposited in the archives of the Secretariat of 
the League of Nations, and of which certified true copies shall 
be delivered to all the Members of the League of Nations and to 
the non-member States mentioned in paragraph 4» 


D. 


151 


CONVENTION ON THE TEACHING OF HISTORY 
Seventh International Conference of American States 
Montevideo, 1933 


The Governments represented in the Seventh International Con¬ 
ference of American States, considering: 

That it is necessary to complement the political and juridi¬ 
cal organization of peace with the moral disarmament of peoples, 
by means of the revision of text books in use in the several 
countries; 

That the need of effecting this corrective labor has been 
recognized by the Pan American Scientific Congress of Lima (1924), 
the National History Congress of Montevideo (1928), the Congress 
of History of Buenos Aires (1929), the Congress of History of 
Bogota (1930), the Second National History Congress of Rio de 
Janeiro (1931), the American University Congress of Montevideo 
(1931), and by the adoption of measures in this respect by sev¬ 
eral American Governments, and that, the United States of Brazil, 
and the Argentine and Uruguayan Republics, evidencing their deep 
desire for international peace and understanding, have recently 
subscribed to agreements for the revision of their text books of 
History and Geography; 

Have appointed as their plenipotentiaries: 

cHere follow the names of the plenipotentiaries. 

Who, after having exchanged their Full Powers, which were 
found in good and proper form, have agreed to the following: 

ARTICLE lo—To revise the text books adopted for instruction 
in their respective countries, with the object of eliminating 
from them whatever might tend to arouse in the immature mind of 
youth aversion to any American Country. 

ARTICLE 2.—To review periodically the text books adopted 
for instruction on the several subjects, in order to harmonize 
them with most recent statistical and general information so 
that they shall convey the most accurate data respecting the 
wealth and productive capacity of the American Republics. 

ARTICLE 3.—To found an n Institute for the Teaching of 
History” of the American Republics, to be located in Buenos 
Aires, and to be responsible for the coordination and inter- 
American realization of the purposes described, and whose ends 
shall be to recommend: 


152 


a) That each American Republic foster the teaching 

of the history of the others, 

b) That greater attention be given to the history 

of Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and France, 
and of any other non-American country In 
respect to matters of major interest to the 
history of America. 

c) That the nations endeavor to prevent the inclu¬ 

sion, in educational programs and handbooks 
on History, of unfriendly references to other 
countries or of errors that may have been dis¬ 
pelled by historical criticism. 

d) That the bellicose emphasis in handbooks on 

History be lessened and that the study of the 
culture of the peoples, and the universal devel¬ 
opment of civilization of each country made by 
foreigners and by other nations, be urged. 

e) That annoying comparisons between national and 

foreign historical characters, and also belittling 
and offensive comments regarding other countries, 
be deleted from text books. 

f) That the narration of victories over other nations 

shall not be used as the basis for a deprecatory 
estimate of the defeated people. 

g) That facts in the narration of wars and battles 

whose results may have been adverse, be not 
appraised with hatred, or distorted. 

h) That emphasis be placed upon whatever may contribute 

constructively to understanding and cooperation 
among the American countries. 

In the fulfillment of the important educational functions 
committed to it, the "Institute for the Teaching of History" 
shall maintain close affiliation with the Pan American Institute 
of Geography and History, established as an organ of cooperation 
between the Geographic and Historic Institutes of the Americas, 
of Mexico City, and with other bodies whose ends are similar to 
its own. 

ARTICLE 4.—The present Convention shall not affect obliga¬ 
tions previously entered into by the High Contracting Parties by 
virtue of international agreements. 

ARTICLE 5.—The present Convention shall be ratified by the 
High Contracting Parties in conformity with their respective 
constitutional procedures. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of 
the Republic of Uruguay shall transmit authentic certified copies 
to the governments for the aforementioned purpose of ratification. 


153 


The instrument of ratification shall be deposited in the archives 
of the Pan American Union in Washington, which shall notify the 
signatory governments of said deposit. Such notification shall 
be considered as an exchange of ratifications. 

ARTICLE 6.—The present Convention will enter into force 
between the High Contracting Parties in the order in which they 
deposit their respective ratifications. 

ARTICLE 7.—The present Convention shall remain in force 
indefinitely but may be denounced by means of one year’s notice 
given to the Pan American Union, which shall transmit it to the 
other signatory governments. After the expiration of this period 
the Convention shall cease in its effects as regards the party 
which denounces but shall remain in effect for the remaining High 
Contracting Parties. 

ARTICLE 8.—The present Convention shall be open for the 
adherence and accession of the States which are not signatories. 
The corresponding instruments shall be deposited in the archives 
of the Pan American Union which shall communicate them to the 
other High Contracting Parties. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the following Plenipotentiaries have 
signed this Convention in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French 
and hereunto affix their respective seals in the city of Monte¬ 
video, Republic of Uruguay, this 26th day of December, 1933. 

c Here follow the signatures of the Delegates of Argentina, 
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, 
Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nica¬ 
ragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. 3 

STATEMENT OF THE DELEGATION OF THE 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

The United States heartily applauds this initiative and 
desires to record its deep sympathy with every measure which tends 
to encourage the teaching of the history of the American nations, 
and particularly the purification of the texts of history books, 
correcting errors, freeing them from bias and prejudice, and elim¬ 
inating matter which might tend to engender hatred between nations. 
The Delegation of the United States of America desires to point 
out, however, that the system of education in the United States, 
differs from that in other countries of the Americas in that it 
lies largely outside the sphere of activity of the Federal Govern¬ 
ment and is supported and administered by the State and Municipal 
authorities and by private institutions and individuals. The Con¬ 
ference will appreciate, therefore, the constitutional inability of 
this Delegation to sign the above Convention. 


154 


E. 


First Session of the General Conference of UNESCO 

1946 

Improvement of Teaching and Teaching 
Materials for International Understanding 


(a) A Program for the Improvement of Textbooks and Teach¬ 
ing Materials as Aids in Developing International Understanding. 

1. UNESCO should establish a clearing house for the collec¬ 
tion and dissemination of data on the analysis and revision of 
textbooks and other teaching materials. As a first step in this 
direction UNESCO should ask every member state to send in 1947 a 
full set of its most commonly used textbooks in history, geogra¬ 
phy, civics and other subjects related to international under¬ 
standing. 


2. The Secretariat should arrange for the study of these 
materials with the assistance of National Commissions and other 
national bodiesj member states should be invited at the same time 
to study their own textbooks from the point of view of their 
effect on international understanding. The results of these 
enquiries should be reported to the next General Conference. 

3. The Secretariat should draw up, in consultation with 
qualified experts, a set of principles or code of ethics by which 
each member state might, as it sees fit, analyze its own textbooks 
and teaching materials. 

4. UNESCO should establish contacts with the member states 
and with associations of educationists and scientists and with 
other learned societies, in order to assist them, when invited, 
in the presentation of events and facts of international signif¬ 
icance. 

5. UNESCO should call world conferences, if deemed desir¬ 
able, on specific aspects of the revision and improvement of 
teaching materials. 

6. UNESCO should encourage member states to make bilateral 
and regional agreements concerning textbooks and other teaching 
materials; and should assist by preparing "model Agreements” and 
the dissemination of information on such agreements. 

7. UNESCO should encourage bilateral and regional enter¬ 
prises and give assistance to them, whether under governmental 
or non-governmental auspices. 


155 


8. UNESCO should prepare ffcom time to time new materials 
on international affairs to be placed at the disposal of text¬ 
book writers. 

9. UNESCO should undertake the responsibility of report¬ 
ing to the General Conference instances of textbook usage 
inimical to peace among nations. 

(b) A Teacher’s Charter—A Committee appointed by the 
Director General should invite drafts of such a charter from 
interested persons and groups with a view to improving the status 
of teachers. 

To be begun in 1947. 

(c) Clearing House for Studies on the Teaching Profession, 
to include the demand for teachers, problems of recruitment, the 
training of teachers, their status, and renumeration. 

To be begun in 1947. 


F. 


Second Session of the General Conference of UNESCO 

1947 


Improvement of Textbooks and Teaching Materials. 


The Director-General is instructed to continue the work for 
the improvement of textbooks and teaching materials according to 
the programme adopted by the First Session of the General Con¬ 
ference. 
















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